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THE  BLUE  FAIRY  BOOK 


NEW  EDITION 

IN  TWO   VOLUMES 

Volume  I 


THE  FAIRY  BOOK  SERIES 

Edited  by  Andrew  Lang 

THE  BLUE  FAIRY  BOOK.     (2  volumes)     With  Coloured 

Frontispieces  and  138  Illustrations. 
THE  RED  FAIRY  BOOK.    With  100  Illustrations. 
THE  GREEN  FAIRY  BOOK.     With  101  Illustrations. 
THE  GREY  FAIRY  BOOK.    With  65  Illustrations. 
THE  YELLOW  FAIRY  BOOK.    With  104  Illustrations. 
THE  PINK  FAIRY  BOOK.    With  67  Illustrations. 
THE    VIOLET    FAIRY    BOOK.      With  8  Coloured  Plates 

and  54  other  Illustrations. 
THE  CRIMSON  FAIRY  BOOK.    With  8  Coloured  Plates 

and  43  other  Illustrations. 
THE    BROWN    FAIRY    BOOK.     With  8  Coloured  Plates 

and  42  other  Illustrations. 
THE  OLIVE  FAIRY  BOOK.    With  8  Coloured  Plates  and 

43  other  Illustrations. 

THE  ORANGE   FAIRY  BOOK.     With  8  Coloured  Plates 

and  50  other  Illustrations. 
THE  LILAC  FAIRY  BOOK.     With  6  Coloured  Plates  and 

46  other  Illustrations. 
THE  BLUE  POETRY  BOOK.    With  100  Illustrations. 
THE  TRUE  STORY  BOOK.    With  66  Illustrations. 
THE  RED  TRUE  STORY  BOOK.    With  100  Illustrations. 
THE  ANIMAL  STORY  BOOK.    With  67  Illustrations. 
THE    RED    BOOK   OF   ANIMAL  STORIES.     With  65 

Illustrations. 
THE  ARABIAN  NIGHTS  ENTERTAINMENTS.    With 

66  Illustrations. 
THE  BOOK  OF  ROMANCE.    With  8  Coloured  Plates  and 

44  other  Illustrations. 

THE   RED   ROMANCE   BOOK.     With  8  Coloured  Plates 

and  44  other  Illustrations. 
THE  BOOK  OF  PRINCES  AND  PRINCESSES.    By  Mrs. 

Lang.     With  8  Coloured  Plates  and  43  other  Illustrations. 
THE   RED   BOOK  OF  HEROES.    By  Mrs.  Lang.    With 

8  Coloured  Plates  and  40  other  Illustrations. 
THE  ALL  SORTS  OF  STORIES  BOOK.     By  Mrs.  Lang. 

With  5  Coloured  Plates  and  43  other  Illustrations. 
THE   STRANGE   STORY    BOOK.     By  Mrs.  Lang.    With 

a  Portrait  of  Andrew  Lang   as  Frontispiece,  12  Coloured 

Plates,  and  18  other  Illustrations. 
THE  BOOK  OF  SAINTS  AND  HEROES.    By  Mrs.  Lang. 

With  12  Coloured  Plates  and  18  other  Illustrations. 

TALES   OF   TROY   AND    GREECE.     By  Andrew  Lang. 
With  17  Illustrations  by  H.J.  Ford,  and  a  Map.  Crown  8vo. 

LONGMANS,  GREEN   AND  CO. 

LONDON,   NEW  YORK,    BOMBAY,   CALCUTTA   AND   MADRAS 


LONGMANS,  GRE.EN  I 


%he  keeping  Beauty  m  theXdood 


THE 

BLUE  FAIRY  BOOK 


EDITED  BY 

ANDREW  LANG 


NEW  EDITION 
Volume  I 

WITH  COLOURED  FRONTISPIECE  AND   NUMEROUS  OTHER 
ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  H.  J.  FORD  AND  G.  P.  JACOMB  HOOD 


LONGMANS,    GREEN   AND   CO 

55    FIFTH    AVENUE,    NEW    YORK 

39  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  LONDON 

BOMBAY,  CALCUTTA  AND  MADRAS 

1922 


COPYRIGHT,     1920,     BY 
LONGMANS,     GREEN    AND    CO, 


New  Edition 
Set  up  and  electrotyped  December,  igig 


All  rights  reserved 


First  Edition,  January,  1920 
Reprinted  May,  1922 


MADE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 


J 


ELSPETH  ANGELA  CAMPBELL 


PREFACE 

THE  Tales  in  these  volumes  are  intended  for  chil- 
dren, who  will  like,  it  is  hoped,  the  old  stories 
that  have  pleased  so  many  generations. 

The  tales  of  Perrault  are  printed  from  the  old 
English  version  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  stories  from  the  Cabinet  des  Fees  and  from 
Madame  d'Aulnoy  are  translated,  or  rather  adapted, 
by  Miss  Minnie  Wright,  who  has  also,  by  M.  Henri 
Carnoy's  kind  permission,  rendered  "  The  Bronze 
Ring "  from  his  Traditions  Popidaires  de  VAsie 
Minenre  (Maisonneuve,  Paris,  1889). 

The  stories  from  Grimm  are  translated  by  Miss  May 
Sellar ;  another  from  the  German  by  Miss  Sylvia  Hunt ; 
the  Norse  tales  are  a  version  by  Mrs.  Alfred  Hunt; 
"  The  Terrible  Head  "  is  adapted  from  Apollodorus, 
Simonides,  and  Pindar  by  the  Editor;  Miss  Violet 
Hunt  condensed  "  Aladdin  " ;  Miss  May  Kendall  did 
the  same  for  Gulliver's  Travels;  "  The  Fairy  Pari- 
banou  "  is  abridged  from  the  old  English  translation 
of  Galland. 

Messrs.  Chambers  have  kindly  allowed  us  to  reprint 
"  The  Red  Etin  "  and  "  The  Black  Bull  of  Norroway  " 
from  Mr.  Robert  Chambers'  Popular  Traditions  of 
Scotland. 

"  Dick  Whittington  "  is  from  the  chap  book  edited 


Vlll 


PREFACE 


by  Mr.  Gomme  and  Mr.  Wheatley  for  the  Villon 
Society;  "Jack  the  Giant-Killer"  is  from  a  chap 
book,  but  a  good  version  of  this  old  favorite  is  hard 
to  procure. 

Andrew  Lang 


CONTENTS 

OF  VOLUME  I 

PAGE 

The  Bronze  Ring i 

Prince     Hyacinth     and     the     Dear     Little 

Princess 17 

East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon  .     .  28 

The  Yellow  Dwarf 45 

Little  Red  Riding  Hood      .......  76V 

-The  Sleeping  Beauty  in  the  Wood  ....  80 

Cinderella;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper      .  95  V 

-Aladdin  and  the  Wonderful  Lamp    ....  106 
The  Tale  of  a  Youth  who  Set  out  to  Learn 

what  Fear  Was 127 

rumpelstiltzkin 142^ 

Beauty  and  the  Beast 147 

The  Master  Maid 176  •*" 

Why  the  Sea  is  Salt 200  - 

The  Master  Cat;  or,  Puss  in  Boots      .     .     .  207 

Felicia  and  the  Pot  of  Pinks 216 

The  White  Cat 229 

The  Water-lily.    The  Goldspinners      .     .     .  255 1 

The  Terrible  Head 267 


[«: 


FULL-PAGE   PLATES 

IN  VOLUME  I 

The  Sleeping  Beauty  in  the  Wood    .      .      .     Frontispiece 
Reproduced  in  colour  from  a  drawing  by  H.  J.  Ford 

The  Old    Jew   Shows   the    Fishes  to  the 

Princess To  face  page  12 

The  King  of  the  Gold  Mines  Encounters 

the  Four-and-Twenty  Maidens 72 

Cinderella's  Flight  104 

The  Prince's  Bride 252 

The  Gold-spinners 260 


t»] 


THE  BLUE  FAIRY  BOOK 

THE  BRONZE  RING 

ONCE  upon  a  time  in  a  certain  country  there  lived 
a  king  whose  palace  was  surrounded  by  a  spa- 
cious garden.  But,  though  the  gardeners  were  many 
and  the  soil  was  good,  this  garden  yielded  neither 
flowers  nor  fruits,  not  even  grass  or  shady  trees. 

The  King  was  in  despair  about  it  when  a  wise  old 
man  said  to  him: 

"  Your  gardeners  do  not  understand  their  business : 
but  what  can  you  expect  of  men  whose  fathers  were 
cobblers  and  carpenters  ?  How  should  they  have  learnt 
to  cultivate  your  garden  ?  " 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  cried  the  King. 

"  Therefore,"  continued  the  old  man,  "  you  should 
send  for  a  gardener  whose  father  and  grandfather  have 
been  gardeners  before  him,  and  very  soon  your  garden 
will  be  full  of  green  grass  and  gay  flowers,  and  you 
will  enjoy  its  delicious  fruit." 

So  the  King  sent  messengers  to  every  town,  village, 
and  hamlet  in  his  dominions,  to  look  for  a  gardener 
whose  forefathers  had  been  gardeners  also,  and  after 
forty  days  one  was  found. 

"  Come  with  us  and  be  gardener  to  the  King,"  they 
said  to  him. 


VOL.  i  —  2 


2  THE  BRONZE  RING 

"  How  can  I  go  to  the  King,"  said  the  gardener,  "  a 
poor  wretch  like  me  ?  " 

"  That  is  of  no  consequence/'  they  answered. 
"  Here  are  new  clothes  for  you  and  your  family." 

"  But  I  owe  money  to  several  people." 

"  We  will  pay  your  debts,"  they  said. 

So  the  gardener  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded, 
and  went  away  with  the  messengers,  taking  his  wife 
and  son  with  him;  and  the  King,  delighted  to  have 
found  a  real  gardener,  entrusted  him  with  the  care  of 
his  garden.  The  man  found  no  difficulty  in  making 
the  royal  garden  produce  flowers  and  fruit,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  year  the  park  was  not  like  the  same  place,  and 
the  King  showered  gifts  upon  his  new  servant. 

The  gardener,  as  you  have  heard  already,  had 
a  son,  who  was  a  very  handsome  young  man,  with 
most  agreeable  manners,  and  every  day  he  carried  the 
best  fruit  of  the  garden  to  the  King,  and  all  the  pretti- 
est flowers  to  his  daughter.  Now  this  princess  was 
wonderfully  pretty  and  was  just  sixteen  years  old,  and 
the  King  was  beginning  to  think  it  was  time  that  she 
should  be  married. 

"  My  dear  child,"  said  he,  "  you  are  of  an  age  to 
take  a  husband,  therefore  I  am  thinking  of  marrying 
you  to  the  son  of  my  prime  minister." 

"  Father,"  replied  the  Princess,  "  I  will  never  marry 
the  son  of  the  minister." 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  the  King. 

"  Because  I  love  the  gardener's  son,"  answered  the 
Princess. 

On  hearing  this  the  King  was  at  first  very  angry, 


THE  BRONZE  RING  3 

and  then  he  wept  and  sighed,  and  declared  that  such 
a  husband  was  not  worthy  of  his  daughter;  but  the 
young  Princess  was  not  to  be  turned  from  her  reso- 
lution to  marry  the  gardener's  son. 

Then  the  King  consulted  his  ministers.  "  This  is 
what  you  must  do/'  they  said.  "  To  get  rid  of  the 
gardener  you  must  send  both  suitors  to  a  very  distant 
country,  and  the  one  who  returns  first  shall  marry  your 
daughter." 

The  King  followed  this  advice,  and  the  minister's 
son  was  presented  with  a  splendid  horse  and  a  purse 
full  of  gold  pieces,  while  the  gardener's  son  had  only 
an  old  lame  horse  and  a  purse  full  of  copper  money, 
and  every  one  thought  he  would  never  come  back  from 
his  journey. 

The  day  before  they  started  the  Princess  met  her 
lover  and  said  to  him: 

"  Be  brave,  and  remember  always  that  I  love  you. 
Take  this  purse  full  of  jewels  and  make  the  best  use 
you  can  of  them  for  love  of  me,  and  come  back  quickly 
and  demand  my  hand." 

The  two  suitors  left  the  town  together,  but  the 
minister's  son  went  off  at  a  gallop  on  his  good  horse, 
and  very  soon  was  lost  to  sight  behind  the  most  dis- 
tant hills.  He  travelled  on  for  some  days,  and  pres- 
ently reached  a  fountain  beside  which  an  old  woman 
all  in  rags  sat  upon  a  stone. 

"  Good-day  to  you,  young  traveller,"  said  she. 

But  the  minister's  son  made  no  reply. 

"  Have  pity  upon  me,  traveller,"  she  said  again.  "  I 
am  dying  of  hunger,  as  you  see,  and  three  days  have 


4  THE  BRONZE  RING 

I   been  here  and   no   one  has  given  me  any  thing/ ' 
"Let  me  alone,  old  witch,"  cried  the  young  man; 
"  I  can  do  nothing  for  you,"  and  so  saying  he  went 
on  his  way. 

That  same  evening  the  gardener's  son  rode  up  to  the 
fountain  upon  his  lame  gray  horse. 

"  Good-day  to  you,  young  traveller,"  said  the  beg- 
gar-woman. 


"  Good-day,  good  woman,"  answered  he. 

"  Young  traveller,  have  pity  upon  me." 

"  Take  my  purse,  good  woman,"  said  he,  "  and 
mount  behind  me,  for  your  legs  can't  be  very  strong." 

The  old  woman  didn't  wait  to  be  asked  twice,  but 
mounted  behind  him,  and  in  this  style  they  reached 
the  chief  city  of  a  powerful  kingdom.     The  minister's 


THE  BRONZE  RING  5 

son  was  lodged  in  a  grand  inn,  the  gardener's  son  and 
the  old  woman  dismounted  at  the  inn  for  beggars. 

The  next  day  the  gardener's  son  heard  a  great 
noise  in  the  street,  and  the  King's  heralds  passed, 
blowing  all  kinds  of  instruments,  and  crying: 

"  The  King,  our  master,  is  old  and  infirm.  He  will 
give  a  great  reward  to  whoever  will  cure  him  and  give 
him  back  the  strength  of  his  youth." 

Then  the  old  beggar-woman  said  to  her  benefactor : 

"  This  is  what  you  must  do  to  obtain  the  reward 
which  the  King  promises.  Go  out  of  the  town  by  the 
south  gate,  and  there  you  will  find  three  little  dogs  of 
different  colors;  the  first  will  be  white,  the  second 
black,  the  third  red.  You  must  kill  them  and  then 
burn  them  separately,  and  gather  up  the  ashes.  Put 
the  ashes  of  each  dog  into  a  bag  of  its  own  color,  then 
go  before  the  door  of  the  palace  and  cry  out,  *  A 
celebrated  physician  has  come  from  Janina  in  Albania. 
He  alone  can  cure  the  King  and  give  him  back  the 
strength  of  his  youth.'  The  King's  physicians  will 
say,  '  This  is  an  impostor,  and  not  a  learned  man,' 
and  they  will  make  all  sorts  of  difficulties,  but  you  will 
overcome  them  all  at  last,  and  will  present  yourself 
before  the  sick  King.  You  must  then  demand  as  much 
wood  as  three  mules  can  carry,  and  a  great  cauldron, 
and  must  shut  yourself  up  in  a  room  with  the  Sultan, 
and  when  the  cauldron  boils  you  must  throw  him  into 
it,  and  there  leave  him  until  his  flesh  is  completely 
separated  from  his  bones.  Then  arrange  the  bones 
in  their  proper  places,  and  throw  over  them  the  ashes 
out  of  the  three  bags.     The  King  will  come  back  to 


6  THE  BRONZE  RING 

life,  and  will  be  just  as  he  was  when  he  was  twenty 
years  old.  For  your  reward  you  must  demand  the 
bronze  ring  which  has  the  power  to  grant  you  every- 
thing you  desire.  Go,  my  son,  and  do  not  forget  any 
of  my  instructions." 

The  young  man  followed  the  old  beggar-woman's 
directions.  On  going  out  of  the  town  he  found  the 
white,  red,  and  black  dogs,  and  killed  and  burnt  them, 
gathering  the  ashes  into  three  bags.  Then  he  ran  to 
the  palace  and  cried : 

"  A  celebrated  physician  has  just  come  from  Janina 
in  Albania.  He  alone  can  cure  the  King  and  give  him 
back  the  strength  of  his  youth." 

The  King's  physicians  at  first  laughed  at  the  un- 
known wayfarer,  but  the  Sultan  ordered  that  the 
stranger  should  be  admitted.  They  brought  the  caul- 
dron and  the  loads  of  wood,  and  very  soon  the  King 
was  boiling  away.  Towards  mid-day  the  gardener's 
son  arranged  the  bones  in  their  places,  and  he  had 
hardly  scattered  the  ashes  over  them  before  the  old 
King  revived,  to  find  himself  once  more  young  and 
hearty. 

"  How  can  I  reward  you,  my  benefactor?  "  he  cried. 
"  Will  you  take  half  my  treasures?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  gardener's  son. 

"My  daughter's  hand?" 

"  No." 

"  Take  half  my  kingdom." 

"  No.  Give  me  only  the  bronze  ring  which  can 
instantly  grant  me  anything  I  wish  for." 

"  Alas !  "  said  the  Xing,  "  I  set  great  store  by  that 


THE  BRONZE  RING  7 

marvellous  ring;  nevertheless,  you  shall  have  it." 
And  he  gave  it  to  him. 

The  gardener's  son  went  back  to  say  good-by  to 
the  old  beggar-woman;  then  he  said  to  the  bronze 
ring: 

"  Prepare  a  splendid  ship  in  which  I  may  continue 
my  journey.  Let  the  hull  be  of  fine  gold,  the  masts  of 
silver,  the  sails  of  brocade;  let  the  crew  consist  of 
twelve  young  men  of  noble  appearance,  dressed  like 
kings.  St.  Nicholas  will  be  at  the  helm.  As  to  the 
cargo,  let  it  be  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds,  and 
carbuncles." 

And  immediately  a  ship  appeared  upon  the  sea  which 
resembled  in  every  particular  the  description  given  by 
the  gardener's  son,  and,  stepping  on  board,  he  con- 
tinued his  journey.  Presently  he  arrived  at  a  great 
town  and  established  himself  in  a  wonderful  palace. 
After  several  days  he  met  his  rival,  the  minister's  son, 
who  had  spent  all  his  money  and  was  reduced  to  the 
disagreeable  employment  of  a  carrier  of  dust  and  rub- 
bish.    The  gardener's  son  said  to  him : 

"  What  is  your  name,  what  is  your  family,  and  from 
what  country  do  you  come?  " 

"  I  am  the  son  of  the  prime  minister  of  a  great 
nation,  and  yet  see  what  a  degrading  occupation  I  am 
reduced  to." 

"  Listen  to  me ;  though  I  don't  know  anything 
more  about  you,  I  am  willing  to  help  you.  I  will  give 
you  a  ship  to  take  you  back  to  your  own  country  upon 
one  condition." 

"  Whatever  it  may  be,  I  accepf  it  willingly." 


8  THE  BRONZE  RING 

"  Follow  me  to  my  palace." 

The  minister's  son  followed  the  rich  stranger,  whom 
he  had  not  recognized.  When  they  reached  the  palace 
the  gardener's  son  made  a  sign  to  his  slaves,  who  com- 
pletely undressed  the  new-comer. 

"  Make  this  ring  red-hot,"  commanded  the  master, 
"  and  mark  the  man  with  it  upon  his  back." 

The  slaves  obeyed  him. 

"  Now,  young  man,"  said  the  rich  stranger,  "  I  am 
going  to  give  you  a  vessel  which  will  take  you  back  to 
your  own  country." 

And,  going  out,  he  took  the  bronze  ring  and  said : 

"  Bronze  ring,  obey  thy  master.  Prepare  me  a  ship 
of  which  the  half-rotten  timbers  shall  be  painted  black, 
let  the  sails  be  in  rags,  and  the  sailors  infirm  and  sickly. 
One  shall  have  lost  a  leg,  another  an  arm,  the  third 
shall  be  a  hunchback,  another  lame  or  club-footed  or 
blind,  and  most  of  them  shall  be  ugly  and  covered  with 
scars.     Go,  and  let  my  orders  be  executed." 

The  minister's  son  embarked  in  this  old  vessel,  and, 
thanks  to  favorable  winds,  at  length  reached  his  own 
country.  In  spite  of  the  pitiable  condition  in  which 
he  returned  they  received  him  joyfully. 

"  I  am  the  first  to  come  back,"  said  he  to  the  King; 
"  now  fulfil  your  promise,  and  give  me  the  princess  in 
marriage." 

So  they  at  once  began  to  prepare  for  the  wedding 
festivities.  As  to  the  poor  princess,  she  was  sorrow- 
ful and  angry  enough  about  it. 

The  next  morning,  at  daybreak,  a  wonderful  ship 
with  every  sail  set  came  to  anchor  before  the  town. 


THE  BRONZE  RING  9 

The  King  happened  at  that  moment  to  be  at  the  palace 
window. 

"  What  strange  ship  is  this/'  he  cried,  "  that  has  a 
golden  hull,  silver  masts,  and  silken  sails,  and  who  are 
the  young  men  like  princes  who  man  it?  And  do  I 
not  see  St.  Nicholas  at  the  helm?  Go  at  once  and 
invite  the  captain  of  the  ship  to  come  to  the  palace." 

His  servants  obeyed  him,  and  very  soon  in  came  an 
enchantingly  handsome  young  prince,  dressed  in  rich 
silk,  ornamented  with  pearls  and  diamonds. 

"  Young  man,"  said  the  King,  "  you  are  welcome, 
whoever  you  may  be.  Do  me  the  favor  to  be  my 
guest  as  long  as  you  remain  in  my  capital." 

"  Many  thanks,  sire,"  replied  the  captain,  "  I  accept 
your  offer." 

"  My  daughter  is  about  to  be  married,"  said  the 
King;  "  will  you  give  her  away?  " 

"  I  shall  be  charmed,  sire." 

Soon  after  came  the  Princess  and  her  betrothed. 

"  Why,  how  is  this  ?  "  cried  the  young  captain ; 
"  would  you  marry  this  charming  princess  to  such  a 
man  as  that?  " 

"  But  he  is  my  prime  minister's  son!  " 

"  What  does  that  matter  ?  I  cannot  give  your 
daughter  away.  The  man  she  is  betrothed  to  is  one 
of  my  servants." 

"Your  servant?" 

"  Without  doubt.  I  met  him  in  a  distant  town  re- 
duced to  carrying  away  dust  and  rubbish  from  the 
houses.  I  had  pity  on  him  and  engaged  him  as  one 
of  my  servants." 


io  THE  BRONZE  RING 

"  It  is  impossible !  "  cried  the  King. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  prove  what  I  say  ?  This  young 
man  returned  in  a  vessel  which  I  fitted  out  for  him,  an 
unseaworthy  ship  with  a  black  battered  hull,  and  the 
sailors  were  infirm  and  crippled." 

"  It  is  quite  true,"  said  the  King. 

"  It  is  false,"  cried  the  minister's  son.  "  I  do  not 
know  this  man !  " 

"  Sire,"  said  the  young  captain,  "  order  your 
daughter's  betrothed  to  be  stripped,  and  see  if  the  mark 
of  my  ring  is  not  branded  upon  his  back." 

The  King  was  about  to  give  this  order,  when  the 
minister's  son,  to  save  himself  from  such  an  indignity, 
admitted  that  the  story  was  true. 

"  And  now,  sire,"  said  the  young  captain,  "  do  not 
you  recognize  me  ?  " 

"  I  recognize  you,"  said  the  Princess ;  "  you  are  the 
gardener's  son  whom  I  have  always  loved,  and  it  is 
you  I  wish  to  marry." 

"  Young  man,  you  shall  be  my  son-in-law,"  cried  the 
King.  "  The  marriage  festivities  are  already  begun, 
so  you  shall  marry  my  daughter  this  very  day." 

And  so  that  very  day  the  gardener's  son  married  the 
beautiful  Princess. 

Several  months  passed.  The  young  couple  were  as 
happy  as  the  day  was  long,  and  the  King  was  more  and 
more  pleased  with  himself  for  having  secured  such  a 
son-in-law. 

But,  presently,  the  captain  of  the  golden  ship  found 
it  necessary  to  take  a  long  voyage,  and  after  embracing 
his  wife  tenderly  he  embarked. 


THE  BRONZE  RING  n 

Now  in  the  outskirts  of  the  capital  there  lived  a  Jew, 
who  had  spent  his  life  in  studying  black  arts  — 
alchemy,  astrology,  magic,  and  enchantment.  This 
man  found  out  that  the  gardener's  son  had  only  suc- 
ceeded in  marrying  the  Princess  by  the  help  of  the  genii 
who  obeyed  the  bronze  ring. 

"  I  will  have  that  ring,"  said  he  to  himself.  So  he 
went  down  to  the  sea-shore  and  caught  some  little  red 
fishes.  Really,  they  were  quite  wonderfully  pretty. 
Then  he  came  back,  and  passing  before  the  Princess's 
window,  he  began  to  cry  out : 

"  Who  wants  some  pretty  little  red  fishes  ?  " 

The  Princess  heard  him,  and  sent  out  one  of  her 
slaves,  who  said  to  the  old  Jew : 

■"  What  will  you  take  for  your  fish?  " 

"  A  bronze  ring." 

"  A  bronze  ring,  old  simpleton !  And  where  shall 
I  find  one?" 

"  Under  the  cushion  in  the  Princess's  room." 

The  slave  went  back  to  her  mistress. 

"  The  old  madman  will  take  neither  gold  nor  silver," 
said  she. 

"  What  does  he  want  then?  " 

"  A  bronze  ring  that  is  hidden  under  a  cushion." 

"  Find  the  ring  and  give  it  to  him,"  said  the 
Princess. 

And  at  last  the  slave  found  the  bronze  ring,  which 
the  captain  of  the  golden  ship  had  accidentally  left  be- 
hind, and  carried  it  to  the  Jew,  who  made  off  with  it 
instantly. 
.  Hardly  had  he  reached  his  own  house  when,  taking 


12  THE  BRONZE  RING 

the  ring,  he  said,  "  Bronze  ring,  obey  thy  master.  I 
desire  that  the  golden  ship  shall  turn  to  black  wood, 
and  the  crew  to  hideous  negroes;  that  St.  Nicholas 
shall  leave  the  helm,  and  that  the  only  cargo  shall  be 
black  cats." 

And  the  genii  of  the  bronze  ring  obeyed  him. 

Finding  himself  upon  the  sea  in  this  miserable  con- 
dition, the  young  captain  understood  that  some  one 
must  have  stolen  the  bronze  ring  from  him,  and  he 
lamented  his  misfortune  loudly;  but  that  did  him  no 
good. 

"  Alas !  "  he  said  to  himself,  "  whoever  has  taken 
my  ring  has  probably  taken  my  dear  wife  also.  What 
good  will  it  do  me  to  go  back  to  my  own  country  ?  " 
And  he  sailed  about  from  island  to  island,  and  from 
shore  to  shore,  believing  that  wherever  he  went  every- 
body was  laughing  at  him,  and  very  soon  his  poverty 
was  so  great  that  he  and  his  crew  and  the  poor  black 
cats  had  nothing  to  eat  but  herbs  and  roots.  After 
wandering  about  a  long  time  he  reached  an  island  in- 
habited by  mice.  The  captain  landed  upon  the  shore 
and  began  to  explore  the  country.  There  were  mice 
everywhere,  and  nothing  but  mice.  Some  of  the  black 
cats  had  followed  him,  and,  not  having  been  fed  for 
several  days,  they  were  fearfully  hungry,  and  made 
terrible  havoc  among  the  mice. 

Then  the  queen  of  the  mice  held  a  council. 

"  These  cats  will  eat  every  one  of  us,"  she  said,  "  if 
the  captain  of  the  ship  does  not  shut  the  ferocious 
animals  up.  Let  us  send  a  deputation  to  him  of  the 
bravest  among  us." 


THE  OLD  JEW   SHOWS  THE  FISHES  TO  THE  PRINCESS 


THE  BRONZE  RING  13 

Several  mice  offered  themselves  for  this  mission  and 
set  out  to  find  the  young  captain. 

"  Captain,"  said  they,  "  go  away  quickly  from  our 
island,  or  we  shall  perish,  every  mouse  of  us." 

"  Willingly,"  replied  the  young  captain,  "  upon  one 
condition.  That  is  that  you  shall  first  bring  me  back 
a  bronze  ring  which  some  clever  magician  has  stolen 
from  me.  If  you  do  not  do  this  I  will  land  all  my 
cats  upon  your  island,  and  you  shall  be  exterminated." 

The  mice  withdrew  in  great  dismay.  "  What  is  to 
be  done?"  said  the  queen.  "How  can  we  find  this 
bronze  ring?  "  She  held  a  new  council,  calling  in  mice 
from  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  but  nobody  knew 
where  the  bronze  ring  was.  Suddenly  three  mice 
arrived  from  a  very  distant  country.  One  was 
blind,  the  second  lame,  and  the  third  had  her  ears 
cropped. 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho !  "  said  the  new-comers.  "  We  come 
from  a  far  distant  country." 

"  Do  you  know  where  the  bronze  ring  is  which  the 
genii  obey  ?  " 

"  Ho,  ho,  ho !  we  know ;  a  wicked  Jew  has  taken 
possession  of  it,  and  now  he  keeps  it  in  his  pocket  by 
day  and  in  his  mouth  by  night." 

"  Go  and  take  it  from  him,  and  come  back  as  soon 
as  possible." 

So  the  three  mice  made  themselves  a  boat  and  set 
sail  for  the  Jew's  country.  When  they  reached  the 
capital  they  landed  and  ran  to  the  palace,  leaving  only 
the  blind  mouse  on  the  shore  to  take  care  of  the  boat. 
Then  they  waited  till   it  was  night.     The  Jew  lay 


i4  THE  BRONZE  RING 

down  in  bed  and  put  the  bronze  ring  into  his  mouth, 
and  very  soon  he  was  asleep. 

"  Now,  what  shall  we  do?"  said  the  two  little 
animals  to  each  other. 

The  mouse  with  the  cropped  ears  found  a  lamp  full 
of  oil,  and  a  bottle  full  of  pepper.  So  she  dipped  her 
tail  first  in  the  oil  and  then  in  the  pepper,  and  held  it 
to  the  Jew's  nose. 

"  Atisha!  atisha!  "  sneezed  the  Jew,  but  he  did  not 
wake,  and  the  shock  made  the  bronze  ring  jump  out 
of  his  mouth.  Quick  as  thought  the  lame  mouse 
snatched  up  the  precious  talisman  and  carried  it  off 
to  the  boat. 

Imagine  the  despair  of  the  magician  when  he  awoke 
and  the  bronze  ring  was  nowhere  to  be  found ! 

But  by  that  time  our  three  mice  had  set  sail  with 
their  prize.  A  favoring  breeze  was  carrying  them 
towards  the  island  where  the  queen  of  the  mice  was 
awaiting  them.  Naturally  they  began  to  talk  about 
the  bronze  ring. 

"  Which  of  us  deserves  the  most  credit?  "  they  cried 
all  at  once. 

"  I  do,"  said  the  blind  mouse,  "  for  without  my 
watchfulness  our  boat  would  have  drifted  away  to  the 
open  sea." 

"  No,  indeed,"  cried  the  mouse  with  the  cropped 
ears ;  "  the  credit  is  mine.  Did  I  not  cause  the  ring 
to  jump  out  of  the  Jew's  mouth?  " 

"  No,  it  is  mine,"  cried  the  lame  one,  "  for  I  ran  off 
with  the  ring." 

And  from  high  words  they  soon  came  to  blows,  and, 


THE  BRONZE  RING 


15 


alas !  when  the  quarrel  was  fiercest  the  bronze  ring  fell 
into  the  sea. 

"  How  are  we  to  face  our  queen,"  said  the  three 
mice,  "  when  by  our  folly  we  have  lost  the  talisman 
and  condemned  our  people  to  be  utterly  exterminated  ? 
We  cannot  go  back  to  our  country ;  let  us  land  on  this 
desert  island  and  there  end  our  miserable  lives."  No 
sooner  said  than  done.  The  boat  reached  the  island, 
and  the  mice  landed. 


The  blind  mouse  was  speedily  deserted  by  her  two 
sisters,  who  went  off  to  hunt  flies,  but  as  she  wandered 
sadly  along  the  shore  she  found  a  dead  fish,  and  was 
eating  it,  when  she  felt  something  very  hard.  At  her 
cries  the  other  two  mice  ran  up. 

"  It  is  the  bronze  ring !     It  is  the  talisman !  "  they 

cried  joyfully,  and,  getting  into  their  boat  again,  they 

soon  reached  the  mouse  island.     It  was  time  they  did, 

for  the  captain  was  just  going  to  land  his  cargo  of 

vol.  1  —  3 


16  THE  BRONZE  RING 

cats,  when  a  deputation  of  mice  brought  him  the 
precious  bronze  ring. 

"  Bronze  ring,"  commanded  the  young  man,  "  obey 
thy  master.     Let  my  ship  appear  as  it  was  before." 

Immediately  the  genii  of  the  ring  set  to  work,  and 
the  old  black  vessel  became  once  more  the  wonderful 
golden  ship  with  sails  of  brocade ;  the  handsome  sailors 
ran  to  the  silver  masts  and  the  silken  ropes,  and  very 
soon  they  set  sail  for  the  capital. 

Ah!  how  merrily  the  sailors  sang  as  they  flew  over 
the  glassy  sea ! 

At  last  the  port  was  reached. 

The  captain  landed  and  ran  to  the  palace,  where  he 
found  the  Jew  asleep.  The  Princess  clasped  her 
husband  in  a  long  embrace.  The  magician  tried  to 
escape,  but  he  was  seized  and  bound  with  strong  cords. 

The  next  day  the  Jew,  tied  to  the  tail  of  a  savage 
mule  loaded  with  nuts,  was  broken  into  as  many  pieces 
as  there  were  nuts  upon  the  mule's  back.1 

1  Traditions  Populaires   de   I'Asie  Mineure.    Carnoy  et   Nico- 
laides.     Paris :    Maisonneuve, 


PRINCE  HYACINTH 
AND  THE  DEAR  LITTLE  PRINCESS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  king  who  was 
deeply  in  love  with  a  princess,  but  she  could  not 
marry  any  one,  because  she  was  under  an  enchantment. 
So  the  King  set  out  to  seek  a  fairy,  and  asked  what  he 
could  do  to  win  the  Princess's  love.  The  Fairy  said 
to  him : 


"  You  know  that  the  Princess  has  a  great  cat  which 
she  is  very  fond  of.  Whoever  is  clever  enough  to 
tread  on  that  cat's  tail  is  the  man  she  is  destined  to 
marry." 

The  King  said  to  himself  that  this  would  not  be 
very  difficult,  and  he  left  the  Fairy,  determined  to 

17 


i8    •  PRINCE  HYACINTH 

grind  the  cat's  tail  to  powder  rather  than  not  tread 
on  it  at  all. 

You  may  imagine  that  it  was  not  long  before  he 
went  to  see  the  Princess,  and  puss,  as  usual,  marched 
in  before  him,  arching  his  back.  The  King  took  a  long 
step,  and  quite  thought  he  had  the  tail  under  his  foot, 
but  the  cat  turned  round  so  sharply  that  he  only  trod 
on  air.  And  so  it  went  on  for  eight  days,  till  the  King 
began  to  think  that  this  fatal  tail  must  be  full  of 
quicksilver  —  it  was  never  still  for  a  moment. 

At  last,  however,  he  was  lucky  enough  to  come  upon 
puss  fast  asleep  and  with  his  tail  conveniently  spread 
out.  So  the  King,  without  losing  a  moment,  set  his 
foot  upon  it  heavily. 

With  one  terrific  yell  the  cat  sprang  up  and  instantly 
changed  into  a  tall  man,  who,  fixing  his  angry  eyes 
upon  the  King,  said : 

"  You  shall  marry  the  Princess  because  you  have 
been  able  to  break  the  enchantment,  but  I  will  have  my 
revenge.  You  shall  have  a  son,  who  will  never  be 
happy  until  he  finds  out  that  his  nose  is  too  long,  and 
if  you  ever  tell  any  one  what  I  have  just  said  to  you, 
you  shall  vanish  away  instantly,  and  no  one  shall  ever 
see  you  or  hear  of  you  again." 

Though  the  King  was  horribly  afraid  of  the  en- 
chanter, he  could  not  help  laughing  at  this  threat. 

"  If  my  son  has  such  a  long  nose  as  that,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "  he  must  always  see  it  or  feel  it ;  at  least, 
if  he  is  not  blind  or  without  hands." 

But,  as  the  enchanter  had  vanished,  he  did  not  waste 
any  more  time  in  thinking,  but  went  to  seek  the  Prin- 


AND  THE  DEAR  LITTLE  PRINCESS      19 

cess,  who  very  soon  consented  to  marry  him.  But 
after  all,  they  had  not  been  married  very  long  when 
the  King  died,  and  the  Queen  had  nothing  left  to  care 
for  but  her  little  son,  who  was  called  Hyacinth.  The 
little  Prince  had  large  blue  eyes,  the  prettiest  eyes  in  the 
world,  and  a  sweet  little  mouth,  but,  alas !  his  nose  was 
so  enormous  that  it  covered  half  his  face.  The  Queen 
was  inconsolable  when  she  saw  this  great  nose,  but  her 
ladies  assured  her  that  it  was  not  really  as  large  as  it 
looked;  that  it  was  a  Roman  nose,  and  you  had  only 
to  open  any  history  to  see  that  every  hero  has  a  large 
nose.  The  Queen,  who  was  devoted  to  her  baby,  was 
pleased  with  what  they  told  her,  and  when  she  looked 
at  Hyacinth  again,  his  nose  certainly  did  not  seem  to 
her  quite  so  large. 

The  Prince  was  brought  up  with  great  care ;  and,  as 
soon  as  he  could  speak,  they  told  him  all  sorts  of  dread- 
ful stories  about  people  who  had  short  noses.  No  one 
was  allowed  to  come  near  him  whose  nose  did  not 
more  or  less  resemble  his  own,  and  the  courtiers,  to 
get  into  favor  with  the  Queen,  took  to  pulling  their 
babies'  noses  several  times  every  day  to  make  them 
grow  long.  But,  do  what  they  would,  they  were 
nothing  by  comparison  with  the  Prince's. 

When  he  grew  sensible  he  learnt  history ;  and  when- 
ever any  great  prince  or  beautiful  princess  was  spoken 
of,  his  teachers  took  care  to  tell  him  that  they  had  long 
noses. 

His  room  was  hung  with  pictures,  all  of  people  with 
very  large  noses ;  and  the  Prince  grew  up  so  convinced 
that  a  long  nose  was  a  great  beauty,  that  he  would  not 


2o  PRINCE  HYACINTH 

on  any  account  have  had  his  own  a  single  inch  shorter ! 

When  his  twentieth  birthday  was  past,  the  Queen 
thought  it  was  time  that  he  should  be  married,  so  she 
commanded  that  the  portraits  of  several  princesses 
should  be  brought  for  him  to  see,  and  among  the  others 
was  a  picture  of  the  Dear  Little  Princess! 

Now,  she  was  the  daughter  of  a  great  king,  and 
would  some  day  possess  several  kingdoms  herself;  but 
Prince  Hyacinth  had  not  a  thought  to  spare  for  any- 
thing of  that  sort,  he  was  so  much  struck  with  her 
beauty.  The  Princess,  whom  he  thought  quite  charm- 
ing, had,  however,  a  little  saucy  nose,  which,  in  her 
face,  was  the  prettiest  thing  possible,  but  it  was  a  cause 
of  great  embarrassment  to  the  courtiers,  who  had  got 
into  such  a  habit  of  laughing  at  little  noses  that  they 
sometimes  found  themselves  laughing  at  hers  before 
they  had  time  to  think ;  but  this  did  not  do  at  all  before 
the  Prince,  who  quite  failed  to  see  the  joke,  and 
actually  banished  two  of  his  courtiers  who  had  dared 
to  mention  disrespectfully  the  Dear  Little  Princess's 
tiny  nose ! 

The  others,  taking  warning  from  this,  learnt  to  think 
twice  before  they  spoke,  and  one  even  went  so  far  as  to 
tell  the  Prince  that,  though  it  was  quite  true  that  no 
man  could  be  worth  anything  unless  he  had  a  long  nose, 
still,  a  woman's  beauty  was  a  different  thing;  and  he 
knew  a  learned  man  who  understood  Greek  and  had 
read  in  some  old  manuscripts  that  the  beautiful 
Cleopatra  herself  had  a  "  tip-tilted  "  nose! 

The  Prince  made  him  a  splendid  present  as  a  reward 
for  this  good  news,  and  at  once  sent  ambassadors  to 


AND  THE  DEAR  LITTLE  PRINCESS     21 


ask  the  Dear  Little  Princess  in  marriage.  The  King, 
her  father,  gave  his  consent;  and  Prince  Hyacinth, 
who,  in  his  anxiety  to  see  the  Princess,  had  gone  three 
leagues  to  meet  her,  was  just  advancing  to  kiss  her 
hand  when,  to  the  horror  of  all  who  stood  by,  the  en- 
chanter appeared 
as  suddenly  as  a 
flash  of  lightning, 
and,  snatching  up 
the  Dear  Little 
Princess,  whirled 
her  away  out  of 
their  sight! 

The  Prince  was 
left  quite  incon- 
solable, and  de- 
clared that  noth- 
ing should  induce 
him  to  go  back  to 
his  kingdom  until 
he  had  found  her 
again,  and  refus- 
ing to  allow  any 
of  his  courtiers  to 
follow  him,  he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  sadly  away, 
letting  the  animal  choose  his  own  path. 

So  it  happened  that  he  came  presently  to  a  great 
plain,  across  which  he  rode  all  day  long  without  seeing 
a  single  house,  and  horse  and  rider  were  quite  terribly 
hungry,  when,  as  the  night  fell,  the  Prince  caught 
sight  of  a  light,  which  seemed  to  shine  from  a  cavern. 


Ti-rjiSBBffp^^SMpSi 

KPllpg- 

rr_^jM|fl_ii 

^ist 

KsnSlw^t! 

ISiB 

■JwSg<g*!afi^ 

22  PRINCE  HYACINTH 

He  rode  up  to  it,  and  saw  a  little  old  woman,  who 
appeared  to  be  at  least  a  hundred  years  old. 

She  put  on  her  spectacles  to  look  at  Prince  Hyacinth, 
but  it  was  quite  a  long  time  before  she  could  fix  them 
securely  because  her  nose  was  so  very  short. 

The  Prince  and  the  Fairy  (for  that  was  who  she 
was)  had  no  sooner  looked  at  one  another  than  they 
went  into  fits  of  laughter,  and  cried  at  the  same 
moment,  "  Oh,  what  a  funny  nose !  " 

"  Not  so  funny  as  your  own,"  said  Prince  Hyacinth 
to  the  Fairy ;  "  but,  madam,  I  beg  you  to  leave  the  con- 
sideration of  our  noses  —  such  as  they  are  —  and  to 
be  good  enough  to  give  me  something  to  eat,  for  I  am 
starving,  and  so  is  my  poor  horse." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  Fairy.  "Though 
your  nose  is  so  ridiculous  you  are,  nevertheless,  the  son 
of  my  best  friend.  I  loved  your  father  as  if  he  had 
been  my  brother.  Now  he  had  a  very  handsome 
nose !  " 

"  And  pray  what  does  mine  lack?  "  said  the  Prince. 

"  Oh !  it  doesn't  lack  anything,"  replied  the  Fairy. 
"  On  the  contrary  quite,  there  is  only  too  much  of  it. 
But  never  mind,  one  may  be  a  very  worthy  man  though 
his  nose  is  too  long.  I  was  telling  you  that  I  was  your 
father's  friend;  he  often  came  to  see  me  in  the  old 
times,  and  you  must  know  that  I  was  very  pretty  in 
those  days;  at  least,  he  used  to  say  so.  I  should  like 
to  tell  you  of  a  conversation  we  had  the  last  time  I 
ever  saw  him." 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  Prince,  "  when  I  have  supped  it 
will  give  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  hear  it;  but  con- 


AND  THE  DEAR  LITTLE  PRINCESS     23 

sider,  madam,  I  beg  of  you,  that  I  have  had  nothing  to 
eat  to-day." 

"  The  poor  boy  is  right,"  said  the  Fairy ;  "  I  was 
forgetting.  Come  in,  then,  and  I  will  give  you  some 
supper,  and  while  you  are  eating  I  can  tell  you  my  story 
in  a  very  few  words  —  for  I  don't  like  endless  tales 
myself.  Too  long  a  tongue  is  worse  than  too  long  a 
nose,  and  I  remember  when  I  was  young  that  I  was 
so  much  admired  for  not  being  a  great  chatterer. 
They  used  to  tell  the  Queen,  my  mother,  that  it  was 
so.  For  though  you  see  what  I  am  now,  I  was  the 
daughter  of  a  great  king.     My  father — " 

"  Your  father,  I  dare  say,  got  something  to  eat  when 
he  was  hungry !  "  interrupted  the  Prince. 

"  Oh !  certainly,"  answered  the  Fairy,  "  and  you  also 
shall  have  supper  directly.  I  only  just  wanted  to  tell 
you—" 

"  But  I  really  cannot  listen  to  anything  until  I  have 
had  something  to  eat,"  cried  the  Prince,  who  was 
getting  quite  angry;  but  then,  remembering  that  he 
had  better  be  polite  as  he  much  needed  the  Fairy's  help, 
he  added : 

"  I  know  that  in  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  you  I 
should  quite  forget  my  own  hunger ;  but  my  horse,  who 
cannot  hear  you,  must  really  be  fed !  " 

The  Fairy  was  very  much  flattered  by  this  com- 
pliment, and  said,  calling  to  her  servants : 

"  You  shall  not  wait  another  minute,  you  are  so 
polite,  and  in  spite  of  the  enormous  size  of  your  nose 
you  are  really  very  agreeable." 

"  Plague  take  the  old  lady !     How  she  does  go  on 


24  PRINCE  HYACINTH 

about  my  nose!  "  said  the  Prince  to  himself.  "One 
would  almost  think  that  mine  had  taken  all  the  extra 
length  that  hers  lacks!  If  I  were  not  so  hungry  I 
would  soon  have  done  with  this  chatterpie  who  thinks 
she  talks  very  little!  How  stupid  people  are  not  to 
see  their  own  faults !  that  comes  of  being  a  princess : 
she  has  been  spoilt  by  flatterers,  who  have  made  her 
believe  that  she  is  quite  a  moderate  talker !  " 

Meanwhile  the  servants  were  putting  the  supper  on 
the  table,  and  the  Prince  was  much  amused  to  hear  the 
Fairy,  who  asked  them  a  thousand  questions  simply 
for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  herself  speak;  especially 
he  noticed  one  maid  who,  no  matter  what  was  being 
said,  always  contrived  to  praise  her  mistress's  wisdom. 

"  Well !  "  he  thought,  as  he  ate  his  supper,  "  I'm 
very  glad  I  came  here.  This  just  shows  me  how 
sensible  I  have  been  in  never  listening  to  flatterers. 
People  of  that  sort  praise  us  to  our  faces  without 
shame,  and  hide  our  faults  or  change  them  into  virtues. 
For  my  part  I  never  will  be  taken  in  by  them.  I  know 
my  own  defects,  I  hope." 

Poor  Prince  Hyacinth !  He  really  believed  what  he 
said,  and  hadn't  an  idea  that  the  people  who  had  praised 
his  nose  were  laughing  at  him,  just  as  the  Fairy's 
maid  was  laughing  at  her ;  for  the  Prince  had  seen  her 
laugh  slyly  when  she  could  do  so  without  the  Fairy's 
noticing  her. 

However,  he  said  nothing,  and  presently,  when  his 
hunger  began  to  be  appeased,  the  Fairy  said : 

"  My  dear  Prince,  might  I  beg  you  to  move  a  little 
more  that  way,  for  your  nose  casts  such  a  shadow  that 


AND  THE  DEAR  LITTLE  PRINCESS     25 


I  really  cannot  see  what  I  have  on  my  plate.  Ah ! 
thanks.  Now  let  us  speak  of  your  father.  When  I 
went  to  his  Court  he  was  only  a  little  boy,  but  that  is 
forty  years  ago,  and  I  have  been  in  this  desolate  place 
ever  since.  Tell  me  what  goes  on  nowadays ;  are  the 
ladies  as  fond  of  amusement  as  ever?  In  my  time  one 
saw  them  at  parties,  theatres,  balls,  and  promenades 
every  day.  Dear  me!  What  a  long  nose  you  have! 
I  cannot  get  used  to  it !  " 

"  Really,  madam," 
said  the  Prince,  "  I 
wish  you  would  leave 
off  mentioning  my 
nose.  It  cannot  matter 
to  you  what  it  is  like. 
I  am  quite  satisfied  with 
it,  and  have  no  wish  to 
have  it  shorter.  One 
must  take  what  is  given 
one." 

"  Now  you  are  an- 
gry with  me,  my  poor 
Hyacinth,"  said  the  Fairy,  "  and  I  assure  you  that  I 
didn't  mean  to  vex  you ;  on  the  contrary,  I  wished  to  do 
you  a  service.  However,  though  I  really  cannot  help 
your  nose  being  a  shock  to  me,  I  will  try  not  to  say  any- 
thing about  it.  I  will  even  try  to  think  that  you  have 
an  ordinary  nose.  To  tell  the  truth,  it  would  make 
three  reasonable  ones." 

The  Prince,  who  was  no  longer  hungry,  grew  so  im- 
patient at  the  Fairy's  continual  remarks  about  his  nose 


26  PRINCE  HYACINTH 

that  at  last  he  threw  himself  upon  his  horse  and  rode 
hastily  away.  But  wherever  he  came  in  his  journey- 
ings  he  thought  the  people  were  mad,  for  they  all  talked 
of  his  nose,  and  yet  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  admit 
that  it  was  too  long,  he  had  been  so  used  all  his  life  to 
hear  it  called  handsome. 

The  old  Fairy,  who  wished  to  make  him  happy,  at 
last  hit  upon  a  plan.  She  shut  the  Dear  Little  Princess 
up  in  a  palace  of  crystal,  and  put  this  palace  down 
where  the  Prince  could  not  fail  to  find  it.  His  joy  at 
seeing  the  Princess  again  was  extreme,  and  he  set  to 
work  with  all  his  might  to  try  to  break  her  prison ;  but 
in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  he  failed  utterly.  In  despair 
he  thought  at  least  that  he  would  try  to  get  near 
enough  to  speak  to  the  Dear  Little  Princess,  who,  on 
her  part,  stretched  out  her  hand  that  he  might  kiss  it; 
but  turn  which  way  he  might,  he  never  could  raise  it 
to  his  lips,  for  his  long  nose  always  prevented  it.  For 
the  first  time  he  realized  how  long  it  really  was,  and 
exclaimed : 

"  Well,  it  must  be  admitted  that  my  nose  is  too 
long!" 

In  an  instant  the  crystal  prison  flew  into  a  thousand 
splinters,  and  the  old  Fairy,  taking  the  Dear  Little 
Princess  by  the  hand,  said  to  the  Prince : 

"  Now,  say  if  you  are  not  very  much  obliged  to  me. 
Much  good  it  was  for  me  to  talk  to  you  about  your 
nose !  You  would  never  have  found  out  how  extraor- 
dinary it  was  if  it  hadn't  hindered  you  from  doing 
what  you  wanted  to.  You  see  how  self-love  keeps  us 
from  knowing  our  own  defects  of  mind  and  body. 


AND  THE  DEAR  LITTLE  PRINCESS     27 

Our  reason  tries  in  vain  to  show  them  to  us ;  we  refuse 
to  see  them  till  we  find  them  in  the  way  of  our 
interests. " 

Prince  Hyacinth,  whose  nose  was  now  just  like  any 
one  else's,  did  not  fail  to  profit  by  the  lesson  he  had 
received.  He  married  the  Dear  Little  Princess,  and 
they  lived  happily  ever  after.1 

xLe  Prince  Desir   et  la  Princesse  Mignonne.    Par   Madame 
Leprince  de  Beaumont. 


EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND  WEST  OF 
THE  MOON 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  poor  husbandman 
who  had  many  children  and  little  to  give  them 
in  the  way  either  of  food  or  clothing.  They  were  all 
pretty,  but  the  prettiest  of  all  was  the  youngest 
daughter,  who  was  so  beautiful  that  there  were  no 
bounds  to  her  beauty. 

So  once  —  it  was  late  on  a  Thursday  evening  in 
autumn,  and  wild  weather  outside,  terribly  dark,  and 
raining  so  heavily  and  blowing  so  hard  that  the  walls 
of  the  cottage  shook  again  —  they  were  all  sitting 
together  by  the  fireside,  each  of  them  busy  with  some- 
thing or  other,  when  suddenly  some  one  rapped  three 
times  against  the  window-pane.  The  man  went  out  to 
see  what  could  be  the  matter,  and  when  he  got  out  there 
stood  a  great  big  white  bear. 

"  Good-evening  to  you,"  said  the  White  Bear. 

"  Good-evening,"  said  the  man. 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  youngest  daughter?  "  said 
the  White  Bear;  "  if  you  will,  you  shall  be  as  rich  as 
you  are  now  poor."  , 

Truly  the  man  would  have  had  no  objection  to  be 
rich,  but  he  thought  to  himself :  "  I  must  first  ask  my 
daughter  about  this,"  so  he  went  in  and  told  them  that 
there  was  a  great  white  bear  outside  who  had  faithfully 

28 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON 


29 


promised  to  make  them  all  rich  if  he  might  but  have 
the  youngest  daughter. 

She  said  no,  and  would  not  hear  of  it;  so  the  man 
went  out  again,  and  settled  with  the  White  Bear  that 
he  should  come  again  next  Thursday  evening, 
and    get    her    answer.     Then    the    man    persuaded 


her,  and  talked  so  much  to  her  about  the  wealth  that 
they  would  have,  and  what  a  good  thing  it  would  be 
for  herself,  that  at  last  she  made  up  her  mind  to  go, 
and  washed  and  mended  all  her  rags,  made  herself 
as  smart  as  she  could,  and  held  herself  in  readiness  to 
set  out.  Little  enough  had  she  to  take  away  with  her. 
Next  Thursday  evening  the  White  Bear  came  to 
fetch  her.     She  seated  herself  on  his  back  with  her 


3o  EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 

bundle,  and  thus  they  departed.  When  they  had  gone 
a  great  part  of  the  way,  the  White  Bear  said :  "  Are 
you  afraid?"       ^ 

"  No,  that  I  am  not,"  said  she. 

"  Keep  tight  hold  of  my  fur,  and  then  there  is  no 
danger,"  said  he. 

And  thus  she  rode  far,  far  away,  until  they  came 
to  a  great  mountain.  Then  the  White  Bear  knocked 
on  it,  and  a  door  opened,  and  they  went  into  a  castle 
where  there  were  many  brilliantly  lighted  rooms  which 
shone  with  gold  and  silver,  likewise  a  large  hall  in 
which  there  was  a  well-spread  table,  and  it  was  so 
magnificent  that  it  would  be  hard  to  make  any  one 
understand  how  splendid  it  was.  The  White  Bear 
gave  her  a  silver  bell,  and  told  her  that  when  she  needed 
anything  she  had  but  to  ring  this  bell,  and  what  she 
wanted  would  appear.  So  after  she  had  eaten,  and 
night  was  drawing  near,  she  grew  sleepy  after  her 
journey,  and  thought  she  would  like  to  go  to  bed.  She 
rang  the  bell,  and  scarcely  had  she  touched  it  before 
she  found  herself  in  a  chamber  where  a  bed  stood 
ready  made  for  her,  which  was  as  pretty  as  any 
one  could  wish  to  sleep  in.  It  had  pillows  of  silk,  and 
curtains  of  silk  fringed  with  gold,  and  everything 
that  was  in  the  room  was  of  gold  or  silver ;  but  when 
she  had  lain  down  and  put  out  the  light  a  man  came  and 
lay  down  beside  her,  and  behold  it  was  the  White  Bear, 
who  cast  off  the  form  of  a  beast  during  the  night. 
She  never  saw  him,  however,  for  he  always  came  after 
she  had  put  out  her  light,  and  went  away  before  day- 
light appeared. 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON  31 

So  all  went  well  and  happily  for  a  time,  but  then  she 
began  to  be  very  sad  and  sorrowful,  for  all  day  long 
she  had  to  go  about  alone;  and  she  did  so  wish  to  go 
home  to  her  father  and  mother  and  brothers  and 
sisters.  Then  the  White  Bear  asked  what  it  was  that 
she  wanted,  and  she  told  him  that  it  was  so  dull  there  in 
the  mountain,  and  that  she  had  to  go  about  all  alone, 
and  that  in  her  parents'  house  at  home  there  were  all 
her  brothers  and  sisters,  and  it  was  because  she  could 
not  go  to  them  that  she  was  so  sorrowful. 

"  There  might  be  a  cure  for  that,"  said  the  White 
Bear,  "  if  you  would  but  promise  me  never  to  talk 
with  your  mother  alone,  but  only  when  the  others  are 
there  too ;  for  she  will  take  hold  of  your  hand,"  he  said, 
"  and  will  want  to  lead  you  into  a  room  to  talk  with 
you  alone ;  but  that  you  must  by  no  means  do,  or  you 
will  bring  great  misery  on  both  of  us." 

So  one  Sunday  the  White  Bear  came  and  said  they 
could  now  set  out  to  see  her  father  and  mother,  and 
they  journeyed  thither,  she  sitting  on  his  back,  and 
they  went  a  long,  long  way,  and  it  took  a  long,  long 
time ;  but  at  last  they  came  to  a  large  white  farmhouse, 
and  her  brothers  and  sisters  were  running  about  out- 
side it,  playing,  and  it  was  so  pretty  that  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  look  at  it. 

"  Your  parents  dwell  here  now,"  said  the  White 
Bear;  "  but  do  not  forget  what  I  said  to  you,  or  you 
will  do  much  harm  both  to  yourself  and  me." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  she,  "  I  shall  never  forget ;  and 
as  soon  as  she  was  at  home  the  White  Bear  turned 
round  and  went  back  again. 

VOL.  1  —  4 


32  EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 

There  were  such  rejoicings  when  she  went  in  to  her 
parents  that  it  seemed  as  if  they  would  never  come  to 
an  end.  Every  one  thought  that  he  could  never  be 
sufficiently  grateful  to  her  for  all  she  had  done  for 
them  all.  Now  they  had  everything  that  they  wanted, 
and  everything  was  as  good  as  it  could  be.  They  all 
asked  her  how  she  was  getting  on  where  she  was.  All 
was  well  with  her  too,  she  said ;  and  she  had  everything 
that  she  could  want.  What  other  answers  she  gave 
I  cannot  say,  but  I  am  pretty  sure  that  they  did  not 
learn  much  from  her.  But  in  the  afternoon,  after 
they  had  dined  at  mid-day,  all  happened  just  as  the 
White  Bear  had  said.  Her  mother  wanted  to  talk  with 
her  alone  in  her  own  chamber.  But  she  remembered 
what  the  White  Bear  had  said,  and  would  on  no  ac- 
count go.  "  What  we  have  to  say  can  be  said  at  any 
time,"  she  answered.  But  somehow  or  other  her 
mother  at  last  persuaded  her,  and  she  was  forced  to 
tell  the  whole  story.  So  she  told  how  every  night  a 
man  came  and  lay  down  beside  her  when  the  lights  were 
all  put  out,  and  how  she  never  saw  him,  because  he 
always  went  away  before  it  grew  light  in  the  morning, 
and  how  she  continually  went  about  in  sadness,  think- 
ing how  happy  she  would  be  if  she  could  but  see  him, 
and  how  all  day  long  she  had  to  go  about  alone,  and  it 
was  so  dull  and  solitary.  "  Oh !  "  cried  the  mother, 
in  horror,  "  you  are  very  likely  sleeping  with  a  troll ! 
But  I  will  teach  you  a  way  to  see  him.  You  shall  have 
a  bit  of  one  of  my  candles,  which  you  can  take  away 
with  you  hidden  in  your  breast.     Look  at  him  with  that 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON  33 

when  he  is  asleep,  but  take  care  not  to  let  any  tallow 
drop  upon  him." 

So  she  took  the  candle,  and  hid  it  in  her  breast,  and 
when  evening  drew  near  the  White  Bear  came  to  fetch 
her  away.  When  they  had  gone  some  distance  on 
their  way,  the  White  Bear  asked  her  if  everything  had 
not  happened  just  as  he  had  foretold,  and  she  could  not 
but  own  that  it  had.  "  Then,  if  you  have  done  what 
your  mother  wished,"  said  he,  "  you  have  brought 
great  misery  on  both  of  us."  "  No,"  she  said,  "  I  have 
not  done  anything  at  all."  So  when  she  had  reached 
home  and  had  gone  to  bed  it  was  just  the  same  as  it 
had  been  before,  and  a  man  came  and  lay  down  beside 
her,  and  late  at  night,  when  she  could  hear  that  he  was 
sleeping,  she  got  up  and  kindled  a  light,  lit  her  candle, 
let  her  light  shine  on  him,  and  saw  him,  and  he  was 
the  handsomest  prince  that  eyes  had  ever  beheld,  and 
she  loved  him  so  much  that  it  seemed  to  her  that  she 
must  die  if  she  did  not  kiss  him  that  very  moment. 
So  she  did  kiss  him;  but  while  she  was  doing  it  she 
let  three  drops  of  hot  tallow  fall  upon  his  shirt,  and 
he  awoke.  "  What  have  you  done  now?"  said  he; 
I  you  have  brought  misery  on  both  of  us.  If  you  had 
but  held  out  for  the  space  of  one  year  I  should  have 
been  free.  I  have  a  stepmother  who  has  bewitched  me 
so  that  I  am  a  white  bear  by  day  and  a  man  by  night ; 
but  now  all  is  at  an  end  between  you  and  me,  and  I 
must  leave  you,  and  go  to  her.  She  lives  in  a  castle 
which  lies  east  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon,  and 
there  too  is  a  princess  with  a  nose  which  is  three  ells 


34 


EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 


long,  and  she  now  is  the  one  whom  I  must  marry." 
She  wept  and  lamented,  but  all  in  vain,  for  go  he 
must.  Then  she  asked  him  if  she  could  not  go  with 
him.  But  no,  that  could  not  be.  "  Can  you  tell  me 
the  way  then,  and  I  will  seek  you  —  that  I  may  surely 
be  allowed  to  do !  " 


"  Yes,  you  may  do  that,"  said  he ;  "  but  there  is  no 
way  thither.  It  lies  east  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the 
moon,  and  never  would  you  find  your  way  there." 

When  she  awoke  in  the  morning  both  the  Prince  and 
the  castle  were  gone,  and  she  was  lying  on  a  small 
green  patch  in  the  midst  of  a  dark  thick  wood.  By 
her  side  lay  the  self -same  bundle  of  rags  which  she 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON  35 

had  brought  with  her  from  her  own  home.  So  when 
she  had  rubbed  the  sleep  out  of  her  eyes,  and  wept  till 
she  was  weary,  she  set  out  on  her  way,  and  thus  she 
walked  for  many  and  many  a  long  day,  until  at  last 
she  came  to  a  great  mountain.  Outside  it  an  aged 
woman  was  sitting,  playing  with  a  golden  apple.  The 
girl  asked  her  if  she  knew  the  way  to  the  Prince  who 
lived  with  his  stepmother  in  the  castle  which  lay  east 
of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon,  and  who  was  to 
marry  a  princess  with  a  nose  which  was  three  ells  long. 
"  How  do  you  happen  to  know  about  him?  "  enquired 
the  old  woman ;  "  maybe  you  are  she  who  ought  to  have 
had  him."  "  Yes,  indeed,  I  am,"  she  said.  "  So  it  is 
you,  then?"  said  the  old  woman;  "I  know  nothing 
about  him  but  that  he  dwells  in  a  castle  which  is  east 
of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon.  You  will  be  a  long 
time  in  getting  to  it,  if  ever  you  get  to  it  at  all;  but 
you  shall  have  the  loan  of  my  horse,  and  then  you  can 
ride  on  it  to  an  old  woman  who  is  a  neighbor  of  mine: 
perhaps  she  can  tell  you  about  him.  When  you  have 
got  there  you  must  just  strike  the  horse  beneath  the  left 
ear  and  bid  it  go  home  again ;  but  you  may  take  the 
golden  apple  with  you." 

So  the  girl  seated  herself  on  the  horse,  and  rode  for 
a  long,  long  way,  and  at  last  she  came  to  the  mountain, 
where  an  aged  woman  was  sitting  outside  with  a  gold 
carding-comb.  The  girl  asked  her  if  she  knew  the 
way  to  the  castle  which  lay  east  of  the  sun  and  west 
of  the  moon ;  but  she  said  what  the  first  eld  woman  had 
said :  "  I  know  nothing  about  it,  but  that  it  is  east  of 
the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon,  and  that  you  will  be  a 


36  EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 

long  time  in  getting  to  it,  if  ever  you  get  there  at  all; 
but  you  shall  have  the  loan  of  my  horse  to  an  old 
woman  who  lives  the  nearest  to  me;  perhaps  she  may 
know  where  the  castle  is,  and  when  you  have  got  to  her 
you  may  just  strike  the  horse  beneath  the  left  ear  and 
bid  it  go  home  again."  Then  she  gave  her  the  gold 
carding-comb,  for  it  might,  perhaps,  be  of  use  to  her, 
she  said. 

So  the  girl  seated  herself  on  the  horse,  and  rode  a 
wearisome  long  way  onwards  again,  and  after  a  very 
long  time  she  came  to  a  great  mountain,  where  an  aged 
woman  was  sitting,  spinning  at  a  golden  spinning- 
wheel.  Of  this  woman,  too,  she  enquired  if  she  knew 
the  way  to  the  Prince,  and  where  to  find  the  castle 
which  lay  east  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon.  But 
it  was  only  the  same  thing  once  again.  "  Maybe  it 
was  you  who  should  have  had  the  Prince,"  said  the 
old  woman.  "  Yes,  indeed,  I  should  have  been  the 
one,"  said  the  girl.  But  this  old  crone  knew  the  way 
no  better  than  the  others  —  it  was  east  of  the  sun  and 
west  of  the  moon,  she  knew  that,  "  and  you  will  be  a 
long  time  in  getting  to  it,  if  ever  you  get  to  it  at  all," 
she  said ;  "  but  you  may  have  the  loan  of  my  horse, 
and  I  think  you  had  better  ride  to  the  East  Wind,  and 
ask  him :  perhaps  he  may  know  where  the  castle  is, 
and  will  blow  you  thither.  But  when  you  have  got  to 
him  you  must  just  strike  the  horse  beneath  the  left  ear, 
and  he  will  come  home  again."  And  then  she  gave  her 
the  golden  spinning-wheel,  saying :  "  Perhaps  you 
may  find  that  you  have  a  use  for  it." 

The  girl  had  to  ride  for  a  great  many  days,  and 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON  37 

for  a  long  and  wearisome  time,  before  she  got  there ; 
but  at  last  she  did  arrive,  and  then  she  asked  the  East 
Wind  if  he  could  tell  her  the  way  to  the  Prince  who 
dwelt  east  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon.  "  Well," 
said  the  East  Wind,  "  I  have  heard  tell  of  the  Prince, 
and  of  his  castle,  but  I  do  not  know  the  way  to  it,  for 
I  have  never  blown  so  far;  but,  if  you  like,  I  will  go 
with  you  to  my  brother  the  West  Wind :  he  may  know 
that,  for  he  is  much  stronger  than  I  am.  You  may 
sit  on  my  back,  and  then  I  can  carry  you  there."  So 
she  seated  herself  on  his  back,  and  they  did  go  swiftly! 
When  they  got  there,  the  East  Wind  went  in  and  said 
that  the  girl  whom  he  had  brought  was  the  one  who 
ought  to  have  had  the  Prince  up  at  the  castle  which 
lay  east  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon,  and  that 
now  she  was  travelling  about  to  find  him  again,  so  he 
had  come  there  with  her,  and  would  like  to  hear  if 
the  West  Wind  knew  whereabouts  the  castle  was. 
"  No,"  said  the  West  Wind ;  "  so  far  as  that  have  I 
never  blown :  but  if  you  like  I  will  go  with  you  to  the 
South  Wind,  for  he  is  much  stronger  than  either  of  us, 
and  he  has  roamed  far  and  wide,  and  perhaps  he  can 
tell  you  what  you  want  to  know.  You  may  seat  your- 
self on  my  back,  and  then  I  will  carry  you  to  him." 

So  she  did  this,  and  journeyed  to  the  South  Wind, 
neither  was  she  very  long  on  the  way.  When  they 
had  got  there,  the  West  Wind  asked  him  if  he  could 
tell  her  the  way  to  the  castle  that  lay  east  of  the  sun 
and  west  of  the  moon,  for  she  was  the  girl  who  ought 
to  marry  the  Prince  who  lived  there.  "  Oh,  indeed !  " 
said  the  South  Wind,  "is  that  she?     Well,"  said  he, 


38  EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 

"  I  have  wandered  about  a  great  deal  in  my  time,  and 
in  all  kinds  of  places,  but  I  have  never  blown  so  far 
as  that.  If  you  like,  however,  I  will  go  with  you  to 
my  brother  the  North  Wind;  he  is  the  oldest  and 
strongest  of  all  of  us,  and  if  he  does  not  know  where 
it  is  no  one  in  the  whole  world  will  be  able  to  tell  you. 
You  may  sit  upon  my  back,  and  then  I  will  carry  you 
there."  So  she  seated  herself  on  his  back,  and  off  he 
went  from  his  house  in  great  haste,  and  they  were  not 
long  on  the  way.  When  they  came  near  the  North 
Wind's  dwelling,  he  was  so  wild  and  frantic  that  they 
felt  cold  gusts  a  long  while  before  they  got  there. 
"  What  do  you  want?  "  he  roared  out  from  afar,  and 
they  froze  as  they  heard.  Said  the  South  Wind :  "  It 
is  I,  and  this  is  she  who  should  have  had  the  Prince 
who  lives  in  the  castle  which  lies  east  of  the  sun  and 
west  of  the  moon.  And  now  she  wishes  to  ask  you 
if  you  have  ever  been  there,  and  can  tell  her  the  way, 
for  she  would  gladly  find  him  again." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  North  Wind,  "  I  know  where  it  is. 
I  once  blew  an  aspen  leaf  there,  but  I  was  so  tired  that 
for  many  days  afterwards  I  was  not  able  to  blow  at 
all.  However,  if  you  really  are  anxious  to  go  there, 
and  are  not  afraid  to  go  with  me,  I  will  take  you  on 
my  back,  and  try  if  I  can  blow  you  there." 

"  Get  there  I  must,"  said  she;  "  and  if  there  is  any 
way  of  going  I  will;  and  I  have  no  fear,  no  matter 
how  fast  you  go." 

"  Very  well  then,"  said  the  North  Wind;  "  but  you 
must  sleep  here  to-night,  for  if  we  are  ever  to  get 
there  we  must  have  the  day  before  us." 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON 


39 


The  North  Wind  woke  her  betimes  next  morning, 
and  puffed  himself  up,  and  made  himself  so  big  and 
so  strong  that  it  was  frightful  to  see  him,  and  away 
they  went,  high  up  through  the  air,  as  if  they  would 
not  stop  until  they  had  reached  the  very  end  of  the 
world.  Down  below  there  was  such  a  storm !  It  blew 
down  woods  and  houses,  and  when  they  were  above 
the  sea  the  ships  were  wrecked  by  hundreds.  And  thus 
they  tore  on  and  on,  and  a  long  time  went  by,  and  then 


yet  more  time  passed,  and  still  they  were  above  the 
sea,  and  the  North  Wind  grew  tired,  and  more  tired, 
and  at  last  so  utterly  weary  that  he  was  scarcely  able 
to  blow  any  longer,  and  he  sank  and  sank,  lower  and 
lower,  until  at  last  he  went  so  low  that  the  crests  of 
the  waves  dashed  against  the  heels  of  the  poor  girl  he 
was  carrying.  "Art  thou  afraid?"  said  the  North 
Wind.  "  I  have  no  fear,"  said  she ;  and  it  was  true. 
But  they  were  not  very,  very  far  from  land,  and  there 
was  just  enough  strength  left  in  the  North  Wind  to 


4o  EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 

enable  him  to  throw  her  on  to  the  shore,  immediately 
under  the  windows  of  a  castle  which  lay  east  of  the 
sun  and  west  of  the  moon;  but  then  he  was  so  weary 
and  worn  out  that  he  was  forced  to  rest  for  several 
days  before  he  could  go  to  his  own  home  again. 

Next  morning  she  sat  down  beneath  the  walls  of 
the  castle  to  play  with  the  golden  apple,  and  the  first 
person  she  saw  was  the  maiden  with  the  long  nose, 
who  was  to  have  the  Prince.  "  How  much  do  you 
want  for  that  gold  apple  of  yours,  girl?"  said  she, 
opening  the  window.  "  It  can't  be  bought  either  for 
gold  or  money,"  answered  the  girl.  "If  it  cannot  be 
bought  either  for  gold  or  money,  what  will  buy  it? 
You  may  say  what  you  please,"  said  the  Princess. 

"  Well,  if  I  may  go  to  the  Prince  who  is  here,  and 
be  with  him  to-night,  you  shall  have  it,"  said  the  girl 
who  had  come  with  the  North  Wind.  "  You  may  do 
that,"  said  the  Princess,  for  she  had  made  up  her 
mind  what  she  would  do.  So  the  Princess  got  the 
golden  apple,  but  when  the  girl  went  up  to  the  Prince's 
apartment  that  night  he  was  asleep,  for  the  Princess 
had  so  contrived  it.  The  poor  girl  called  to  him,  and 
shook  him,  and  between  whiles  she  wept;  but  she 
could  not  wake  him.  In  the  morning,  as  soon  as  day 
dawned,  in  came  the  Princess  with  the  long  nose,  and 
drove  her  out  again.  In  the  daytime  she  sat  down 
once  more  beneath  the  windows  of  the  castle,  and  be- 
gan to  card  with  her  golden  carding-comb ;  and  then 
all  happened  as  it  had  happened  before.  The  princess 
asked  her  what  she  wanted  for  it,  and  she  replied  that 
it  was  not  for  sale,  either  for  gold  or  money,  but 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON  41 

that  if  she  could  get  leave  to  go  to  the  Prince,  and  be 
with  him  during  the  night,  she  should  have  it.  But 
when  she  went  up  to  the  Prince's  room  he  was  again 
asleep,  and,  let  her  call  him,  or  shake  him,  or  weep  as 
she  would,  he  still  slept  on,  and  she  could  not  put  any 
life  in  him.  When  daylight  came  in  the  morning,  the 
Princess  with  the  long  nose  came  too,  and  once  more 
drove  her  away.  When  day  had  quite  come,  the  girl 
seated  herself  under  the  castle  windows,  to  spin  with 
her  golden  spinning-wheel,  and  the  Princess  with  the 
long  nose  wanted  to  have  that  also.  So  she  opened 
the  window,  and  asked  what  she  would  take  for  it. 
The  girl  said  what  she  had  said  on  each  of  the  for- 
mer occasions  —  that  it  was  not  for  sale  either  for 
gold  or  for  money,  but  if  she  could  get  leave  to  go  to 
the  Prince  who  lived  there,  and  be  with  him  during 
the  night,  she  should  have  it. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Princess,  "  I  will  gladly  consent  to 
that." 

But  in  that  place  there  were  some  Christian  folk  who 
had  been  carried  off,  and  they  had  been  sitting  in  the 
chamber  which  was  next  to  that  of  the  Prince,  and 
had  heard  how  a  woman  had  been  in  there  who  had 
wept  and  called  on  him  two  nights  running,  and  they 
told  the  Prince  of  this.  So  that  evening,  when  the 
Princess  came  once  more  with  her  sleeping-drink,  he 
pretended  to  drink,  but  threw  it  away  behind  him,  for 
he  suspected  that  it  was  a  sleeping-drink.  So,  when 
the  girl  went  into  the  Prince's  room  this  time  he  was 
awake,  and  she  had  to  tell  him  how  she  had  come 
there.     "  You    have    come    just    in    time,"    said    the 


42 


EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 


Prince,  "  for  I  should  have  been  married  to-morrow ; 
but  I  will  not  have  the  long-nosed  Princess,  and  you 
alone  can  save  me.  I  will  say  that  I  want  to  see  what 
my  bride  can  do,  and  bid  her  wash  the  shirt  which 
has  the  three  drops  of  tallow  on  it.     This  she  will 

consent  to  do,  for  she 
does  not  know  that  it 
is  you  who  let  them 
fall  on  it;  but  no  one 
can  wash  them  out  but 
one  born  of  Christian 
folk :  it  cannot  be  done 
by  one  of  a  pack  of 
trolls;  and  then  I  will 
say  that  no  one  shall 
ever  be  my  bride  but 
the  woman  who  can 
do  this,  and  I  know 
that  you  can."  There 
was  great  joy  and 
gladness  between  them 
all  that  night,  but  the 
next  day,  when  the 
wedding  was  to  take 
place,  the  Prince  said,  "  I  must  see  what  my  bride  can 
do."     "  That  you  may  do,"  said  the  stepmother. 

"  I  have  a  fine  shirt  which  I  want  to  wear  as  my 
wedding  shirt,  but  three  drops  of  tallow  have  got 
upon  it  which  I  want  to  have  washed  off,  and  I  have 
vowed  to  marry  no  one  but  the  woman  who  is  able 


WEST  OF  THE  MOON  43 

to  do  it.  If  she  cannot  do  that,  she  is  not  worth 
having." 

Well,  that  was  a  very  small  matter,  they  thought, 
and  agreed  to  do  it.  The  Princess  with  the  long  nose 
began  to  wash  as  well  as  she  could,  but,  the  more  she 
washed  and  rubbed,  the  larger  the  spots  grew.  "  Ah ! 
you  can't  wash  at  all,"  said  the  old  troll-hag,  who  was 
her  mother.  "  Give  it  to  me."  But  she  too  had  not 
had  the  shirt  very  long  in  her  hands  before  it  looked 
worse  still,  and,  the  more  she  washed  it  and  rubbed 
it,  the  larger  and  blacker  grew  the  spots. 

So  the  other  trolls  had  to  come  and  wash,  but,  the 
more  they  did,  the  blacker  and  uglier  grew  the  shirt, 
until  at  length  it  was  as  black  as  if  it  had  been  up  the 
chimney.  "  Oh,"  cried  the  Prince,  "  not  one  of  you 
is  good  for  anything  at  all !  There  is  a  beggar-girl 
sitting  outside  the  window,  and  I'll  be  bound  that  she 
can  wash  better  than  any  of  you!  Come  in,  you  girl 
there !  "  he  cried.  So  she  came  in.  "  Can  you  wash 
this  shirt  clean?"  he  cried.  "Oh!  I  don't  know," 
she  said ;  "  but  I  will  try."  And  no  sooner  had  she 
taken  the  shirt  and  dipped  it  in  the  water  than  it  was 
white  as  driven  snow,  and  even  whiter  than  that.  "  I 
will  marry  you,"  said  the  Prince. 

Then  the  old  troll-hag  flew  into  such  a  rage  that  she 
burst,  and  the  Princess  with  the  long  nose  and  all  the 
little  trolls  must  have  burst  too,  for  they  have  never 
been  heard  of  since.  The  Prince  and  his  bride  set  free 
all  the  Christian  folk  who  were  imprisoned  there,  and 
took  away  with  them  all  the  gold  and  silver  that  they 


44  EAST  OF  THE  SUN  AND 

could  carry,   and  moved   far  away   from  the   castle 
which  lay  east  of  the  sun  and  west  of  the  moon.1 

^■Asbjornsen  and  Moe. 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  queen  who  had 
been  the  mother  of  a  great  many  children,  and 
of  them  all  only  one  daughter  was  left.  But  then  she 
was  worth  at  least  a  thousand. 

Her  mother,  who,  since  the  death  of  the  King,  her 
father,  had  nothing  in  the  world  she  cared  for  so 
much  as  this  little  princess,  was  so  terribly  afraid  of 
losing  her  that  she  quite  spoiled  her,  and  never  tried 
to  correct  any  of  her  faults.  The  consequence  was 
that  this  little  person,  who  was  as  pretty  as  possible, 
and  was  one  day  to  wear  a  crown,  grew  up  so  proud 
and  so  much  in  love  with  her  own  beauty  that  she 
despised  every  one  else  in  the  world. 

The  Queen,  her  mother,  by  her  caresses  and  flat- 
teries, helped  to  make  her  believe  that  there  was 
nothing  too  good  for  her.  She  was  dressed  almost 
always  in  the  prettiest  frocks,  as  a  fairy,  or  as  a  queen 
going  out  to  hunt,  and  the  ladies  of  the  Court  fol- 
lowed her  dressed  as  forest-fairies. 

And  to  make  her  more  vain  than  ever  the  Queen 
caused  her  portrait  to  be  taken  by  the  cleverest  painters 
and  sent  it  to  several  neighboring  kings  with  whom  she 
was  very  friendly. 

When  they  saw  this  portrait  they  fell  in  love  with 
the  Princess  —  every  one  of  them,  but  upon  each  it  had 
a  different  effect.     One  fell  ill,  one  went  quite  crazy, 

45 


46  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

and  a  few  of  the  luckiest  set  off  to  see  her  as  soon  as 
possible ;  but  these  poor  princes  became  her  slaves  the 
moment  they  set  eyes  on  her. 

Never  has  there  been  a  gayer  Court.  Twenty  de- 
lightful kings  did  everything  they  could  think  of  to 
make  themselves  agreeable,  and  after  having  spent 
ever  so  much  money  in  giving  a  single  entertainment 
thought  themselves  very  lucky  if  the  Princess  said 
"  That's  pretty." 

All  this  admiration  vastly  pleased  the  Queen.  Not 
a  day  passed  but  she  received  seven  or  eight  thousand 
sonnets,  and  as  many  elegies,  madrigals,  and  songs, 
which  were  sent  her  by  all  the  poets  in  the  world.  All 
the  prose  and  the  poetry  that  was  written  just  then 
was  about  Bellissima  —  for  that  was  the  Princess's 
name  —  and  all  the  bonfires  that  they  had  were  made 
of  these  verses,  which  crackled  and  sparkled  better 
than  any  other  sort  of  wood. 

Bellissima  was  already  fifteen  years  old,  and  every 
one  of  the  Princes  wished  to  marry  her,  but  not  one 
dared  to  say  so.  How  could  they  when  they  knew 
that  any  of  them  might  have  cut  off  his  head  five  or 
six  times  a  day  just  to  please  her,  and  she  would  have 
thought  it  a  mere  trifle,  so  little  did  she  care?  You 
may  imagine  how  hard-hearted  her  lovers  thought  her : 
and  the  Queen,  who  wished  to  see  her  married,  did 
not  know  how  to  persuade  her  to  think  of  it  seriously. 

"  Bellissima,"  she  said,  "  I  do  wish  you  would  not 
be  so  proud.  What  makes  you  despise  all  these  nice 
kings?  I  wish  you  to  marry  one  of  them,  and  you 
do  not  try  to  please  me." 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  47 

"  I  am  so  happy,"  Bellissima  answered :  "  do  leave 
me  in  peace,  madam.  I  don't  want  to  care  for  any 
one." 

"  But  you  would  be  very  happy  with  any  of  these 
princes,"  said  the  Queen,  "  and  I  shall  be  very  angry 
if  you  fall  in  love  with  any  one  who  is  not  worthy  of 
you." 

But  the  Princess  thought  so  much  of  herself  that 
she  did  not  consider  any  one  of  her  lovers  clever  or 
handsome  enough  for  her;  and  her  mother,  who  was 
getting  really  angry  at  her  determination  not  to  be 
married,  began  to  wish  that  she  had  not  allowed  her 
to  have  her  own  way  so  much. 

At  last,  not  knowing  what  else  to  do,  she  resolved 
to  consult  a  certain  witch  who  was  called  "  The  Fairy 
of  the  Desert."  Now  this  was  very  difficult  to  do,  as 
she  was  guarded  by  some  terrible  lions;  but  happily 
the  Queen  had  heard  a  long  time  before  that  whoever 
wanted  to  pass  these  lions  safely  must  throw  to  them 
a  cake  made  of  millet  flour,  sugar-candy,  and  croco- 
dile's eggs.  This  cake  she  prepared  with  her  own 
hands,  and  putting  it  in  a  little  basket,  she  set  out  to 
seek  the  Fairy.  But  as  she  was  not  used  to  walking 
far,  she  soon  felt  very  tired  and  sat  down  at  the  foot 
of  a  tree  to  rest,  and  presently  fell  fast  asleep.  When 
she  awoke  she  was  dismayed  to  find  her  basket  empty. 
The  cake  was  all  gone !  and,  to  make  matters  worse,  at 
that  moment  she  heard  the  roaring  of  the  great  lions, 
who  had  found  out  that  she  was  near  and  were  com- 
ing to  look  for  her. 

"What  shall  I  do?"  she  cried;  "I  shall  be  eaten 
vol.  1  —  5 


48 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF 


up,"  and  being  too  much  frightened  to  run  a  single 
step,  she  began  to  cry,  and  leant  against  the  tree  under 
which  she  had  been  asleep. 

Just  then  she  heard  some  one  say :     "  H'm,  h'm !  " 
She  looked  all  round  her,  and  then  up  at  the  tree, 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  49 

and  there  she  saw  a  little  tiny  man,  who  was  eating 
oranges. 

"  Oh !  Queen,"  said  he,  "  I  know  you  very  well,  and 
I  know  how  much  afraid  you  are  of  the  lions ;  and  you 
are  quite  right  too,  for  they  have  eaten  many  other 
people :  and  what  can  you  expect,  as  you  have  not  any 
cake  to  give  them  ?  " 

"  I  must  make  up  my  mind  to  die,"  said  the  poor 
Queen.  "  Alas !  I  should  not  care  so  much  if  only 
my  dear  daughter  were  married." 

"  Oh !  you  have  a  daughter,"  cried  the  Yellow  Dwarf 
(who  was  so  called  because  he  was  a  dwarf  and  had 
such  a  yellow  face,  and  lived  in  the  orange  tree). 
"  I'm  really  glad  to  hear  that,  for  I've  been  looking 
for  a  wife  all  over  the  world.  Now,  if  you  will  prom- 
ise that  she  shall  marry  me,  not  one  of  the  lions, 
tigers,  or  bears  shall  touch  you." 

The  Queen  looked  at  him  and  was  almost  as  much 
afraid  of  his  ugly  little  face  as  she  had  been  of  the 
lions  before,  so  that  she  could  not  speak  a  word. 

"  What !  you  hesitate,  madam,"  cried  the  Dwarf. 
"  You  must  be  very  fond  of  being  eaten  up  alive." 

And,  as  he  spoke,  the  Queen  saw  the  lions,  which 
were  running  down  a  hill  towards  them. 

Each  one  had  two  heads,  eight  feet,  and  four  rows 
of  teeth,  and  their  skins  were  as  hard  as  turtle  shells, 
and  were  bright  red. 

At  this  dreadful  sight,  the  poor  Queen,  who  was 
trembling  like  a  dove  when  it  sees  a  hawk,  cried  out 
as  loud  as  she  could,  "  Oh !  dear  Mr.  Dwarf,  Bellissima 
shall  marry  you." 


50  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

"Oh,  indeed!"  said  he  disdainfully.  "  Bellissima 
is  pretty  enough,  but  I  don't  particularly  want  to 
marry  her  —  you  can  keep  her." 

"  Oh !  noble  sir,"  said  the  Queen  in  great  distress, 
"  do  not  refuse  her.  She  is  the  most  charming  Prin- 
cess in  the  world." 

"Oh!  well,"  he  replied,  "out  of  charity  I  will 
take  her;  but  be  sure  you  don't  forget  that  she  is 
mine." 

As  he  spoke  a  little  door  opened  in  the  trunk  of  the 
orange  tree,  in  rushed  the  Queen,  only  just  in  time, 
and  the  door  shut  with  a  bang  in  the  faces  of  the 
lions. 

The  Queen  was  so  confused  that  at  first  she  did  not 
notice  another  little  door  in  the  orange  tree,  but  pres- 
ently it  opened  and  she  found  herself  in  a  field  of 
thistles  and  nettles.  It  was  encircled  by  a  muddy 
ditch,  and  a  little  further  on  was  a  tiny  thatched  cot- 
tage, out  of  which  came  the  Yellow  Dwarf  with  a 
very  jaunty  air.  He  wore  wooden  shoes  and  a  little 
yellow  coat,  and  as  he  had  no  hair  and  very  long  ears 
he  looked  altogether  a  shocking  little  object. 

"  I  am  delighted,"  said  he  to  the  Queen,  "  that,  as 
you  are  to  be  my  mother-in-law,  you  should  see  the 
little  house  in  which  your  Bellissima  will  live  with  me. 
With  these  thistles  and  nettles  she  can  feed  a  donkey 
which  she  can  ride  whenever  she  likes;  under  this 
humble  roof  no  weather  can  hurt  her;  she  will  drink 
the  water  of  this  brook,  and  eat  frogs  —  which  grow 
very  fat  about  here ;  and  then  she  will  have  me  always 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  51 

with  her,  handsome,  agreeable,  and  gay  as  you  see  me 
now.  For  if  her  shadow  stays  by  her  more  closely 
than  I  do  I  shall  be  surprised." 

The  unhappy  Queen,  seeing  all  at  once  what  a  mis- 
erable life  her  daughter  would  have  with  this  Dwarf, 
could  not  bear  the  idea,  and  fell  down  insensible 
without  saying  a  word. 

When  she  revived  she  found  to  her  great  surprise 
that  she  was  lying  in  her  own  bed  at  home,  and,  what 
was  more,  that  she  had  on  the  loveliest  lace  nightcap 
that  she  had  ever  seen  in  her  life.  At  first  she  thought 
that  all  her  adventures,  the  terrible  lions,  and  her 
promise  to  the  Yellow  Dwarf  that  he  should  marry 
Bellissima  must  have  been  a  dream,  but  there  was  the 
new  cap  with  its  beautiful  ribbon  and  lace  to  remind 
her  that  it  was  all  true,  which  made  her  so  unhappy 
that  she  could  neither  eat,  drink,  nor  sleep  for  think- 
ing of  it. 

The  Princess,  who,  in  spite  of  her  wilfulness,  really 
loved  her  mother  with  all  her  heart,  was  much  grieved 
when  she  saw  her  looking  so  sad,  and  often  asked  her 
what  was  the  matter ;  but  the  Queen,  who  didn't  want 
her  to  find  out  the  truth,  only  said  that  she  was  ill,  or 
that  one  of  her  neighbours  was  threatening  to  make 
war  against  her.  Bellissima  knew  quite  well  that 
something  was  being  hidden  from  her  —  and  that 
neither  of  these  was  the  real  reason  of  the  Queen's 
uneasiness.  So  she  made  up  her  mind  that  she  would 
go  and  consult  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert  about  it,  espe- 
cially as  she  had  often  heard  how  wise  she  was,  and 
she  thought  that  at  the  same  time  she  might  ask  her 


52  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

advice  as  to  whether  it  would  be  as  well  to  be  married, 
or  not. 

So,  with  great  care,  she  made 
some  of  the  proper  cake  to  pacify 
the  lions,  and  one  night  went  up 
to  her  room  very  early,  pretending 
that  she  was  going  to  bed;  but, 
instead  of  that,  she  wrapped  her- 
self up  in  a  long  white  veil,  and 
went  down  a  secret  staircase,  and 
set  off,  all  by  herself,  to  find  the 
Witch. 

But  when  she  got  as  far  as  the 
same  fatal  orange  tree,  and  saw  it 
covered  with  flowers  and  fruit,  she 
stopped  and  began  to  gather  some 
of  the  oranges  —  and  then,  putting  down  her  basket, 
she  sat  down  to  eat  them.  But  when  it  was  time  to 
go  on  again  the  basket  had  disappeared,  and,  though 
she  looked  everywhere,  not  a  trace  of  it  could  she  find. 
The  more  she  hunted  for  it  the  more  frightened  she 
got,  and  at  last  she  began  to  cry.  Then  all  at  once, 
she  saw  before  her  the  Yellow  Dwarf. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  my  pretty  one?" 
said  he.     "  What  are  you  crying  about  ?  " 

"  Alas !  "  she  answered ;  "  no  wonder  that  I  am  cry- 
ing, seeing  that  I  have  lost  the  basket  of  cake  that 
was  to  help  me  to  get  safely  to  the  cave  of  the  Fairy 
of  the  Desert." 

"And  what  do  you  want  with  her,  pretty  one?" 
said  the  little  monster,  "  for  I  am  a  friend  of  hers, 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  53 

and,  for  the  matter  of  that,  I  am  quite  as  clever  as 
she  is." 

"  The  Queen,  my  mother,"  replied  the  Princess, 
"  has  lately  fallen  into  such  deep  sadness  that  I  fear 
that  she  will  die;  and  I  am  afraid  that  perhaps  I  am 
the  cause  of  it,  for  she  very  much  wishes  me  to  be 
married,  and  I  must  tell  you  truly  that  as  yet  I  have 
not  found  any  one  I  consider  worthy  to  be  my  husband. 
So  for  all  these  reasons  I  wished  to  talk  to  the  Fairy." 

"  Do  not  give  yourself  any  further  trouble,  Prin- 
cess," answered  the  Dwarf.  "  I  can  tell  you  all  you 
want  to  know  better  than  she  could.  The  Queen,  your 
mother,  has  promised  you  in  marriage  — " 

"Has  promised  me!"  interrupted  the  Princess. 
"  Oh !  no.  I'm  sure  she  has  not.  She  would  have  told 
me  if  she  had.  I  am  too  much  interested  in  the  mat- 
ter for  her  to  promise  anything  without  my  consent  — 
you  must  be  mistaken." 

"  Beautiful  Princess,"  cried  the  Dwarf  suddenly, 
throwing  himself  on  his  knees  before  her,  "  I  flatter 
myself  that  you  will  not  be  displeased  at  her  choice 
when  I  tell  you  that  it  is  to  me  she  has  promised  the 
happiness  of  marrying  you." 

"  You !  "  cried  Bellissima,  starting  back.  "  My 
mother  wishes  me  to  marry  you !  How  can  you  be  so 
silly  as  to  think  of  such  a  thing?  " 

"  Oh !  it  isn't  that  I  care  much  to  have  that  honor," 
cried  the  Dwarf  angrily ;  "  but  here  are  the  lions  com- 
ing; they'll  eat  you  up  in  three  mouthfdls,  and  there 
will  be  an  end  of  you  and  your  pride." 

And,   indeed,    at   that   moment   the   poor    Princess 


54  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

heard  their  dreadful  howls  coming  nearer  and  nearer. 

"What  shall  I  do?"  she  cried.  "Must  all  my 
happy  days  come  to  an  end  like  this  ?  " 

The  malicious  Dwarf  looked  at  her  and  began  to 
laugh  spitefully.  "  At  least,"  said  he,  "  you  have  the 
satisfaction  of  dying  unmarried.  A  lovely  princess 
like  you  must  surely  prefer  to  die  rather  than  be  the 
wife  of  a  poor  little  dwarf  like  myself." 

"  Oh !  don't  be  angry  with  me,"  cried  the  Princess, 
clasping  her  hands.  "  I'd  rather  marry  all  the  dwarfs 
in  the  world  than  die  in  this  horrible  way." 

"  Look  at  me  well,  Princess,  before  you  give  me 
your  word,"  said  he.  "  I  don't  want  you  to  promise 
me  in  a  hurry." 

"  Oh !  "  cried  she,  "  the  lions  are  coming.  I  have 
looked  at  you  enough.  I  am  so  frightened.  Save  me 
this  minute,  or  I  shall  die  of  terror." 

Indeed,  as  she  spoke  she  fell  down  insensible,  and 
when  she  recovered  she  found  herself  in  her  own  little 
bed  at  home;  how  she  got  there  she  could  not  tell,  but 
she  was  dressed  in  the  most  beautiful  lace  and  ribbons, 
and  on  her  finger  was  a  little  ring,  made  of  a  single 
red  hair,  which  fitted  so  tightly  that,  try  as  she  might, 
she  could  not  get  it  off. 

When  the  Princess  saw  all  these  things,  and  remem- 
bered what  had  happened,  she,  too,  fell  into  the  deep- 
est sadness,  which  surprised  and  alarmed  the  whole 
Court,  and  the  Queen  more  than  any  one  else.  A  hun- 
dred times  she  asked  Bellissima  if  anything  was  the 
matter  with  her;  but  she  always  said  that  there  was 
nothing. 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  55 

At  last  the  chief  men  of  the  kingdom,  anxious  to 
see  their  Princess  married,  sent  to  the  Queen  to  beg 
her  to  choose  a  husband  for  her  as  soon  as  possible. 
She  replied  that  nothing  would  please  her  better,  but 
that  her  daughter  seemed  so  unwilling  to  marry,  and 
she  recommended  them  to  go  and  talk  to  the  Princess 
about  it  themselves;  so  this  they  at  once  did.  Now 
Bellissima  was  much  less  proud  since  her  adventure 
with  the  Yellow  Dwarf,  and  she  could  not  think  of 
a  better  way  of  getting  rid  of  the  little  monster  than 
to  marry  some  powerful  king,  therefore  she  replied  to 
their  request  much  more  favorably  than  they  had 
hoped,  saying  that,  though  she  was  very  happy  as  she 
was,  still,  to  please  them,  she  would  consent  to  marry 
the  King  of  the  Gold  Mines.  Now  he  was  a  very 
handsome  and  powerful  Prince,  who  had  been  in  love 
with  the  Princess  for  years,  but  had  not  thought  that 
she  would  ever  care  about  him  at  all.  You  can  easily 
imagine  how  delighted  he  was  when  he  heard  the 
news,  and  how  angry  it  made  all  the  other  kings  to 
lose  forever  the  hope  of  marrying  the  Princess;  but 
after  all  Bellissima  could  not  have  married  twenty 
kings  —  indeed,  she  had  found  it  quite  difficult  enough 
to  choose  one,  for  her  vanity  made  her  believe  that 
there  was  nobody  in  the  world  who  was  worthy  of  her. 

Preparations  were  begun  at  once  for  the  grandest 
wedding  that  had  ever  been  held  at  the  palace.  The 
King  of  the  Gold  Mines  sent  such  immense  sums  of 
money  that  the  whole  sea  was  covered  with  the  ships 
that  brought  it.  Messengers  were  sent  to  all  the  gayest 
and  most  refined  Courts,  particularly  to  the  Court  of 


56 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF 


France,  to  seek  out 
everything  rare  and 
precious  to  adorn  the 
Princess,  although  her 
beauty  was  so  perfect 
that  nothing  she  wore 
could  make  her  look 
prettier.  At  least  that 
is  what  the  King  of  the 
Gold  Mines  thought, 
and  he  was  never  hap- 
py unless  he  was  with 
her. 

As  for  the  Princess, 
the  more  she  saw  of  the 
King  the  more  she  liked 
him;  he  was  so  gene- 
rous, so  handsome  and 
clever,  that  at  last  she 
was  almost  as  much  in 
love  with  him  as  he  was  with  her.  How  happy  they 
were  as  they  wandered  about  in  the  beautiful  gardens 
together,  sometimes  listening  to  sweet  music!  and  the 
King  used  to  write  songs  for  Bellissima.  This  is  one 
that  she  liked  very  much : 


In  the  forest  all  is  gay 
When  my  Princess  walks  that  way. 
All  the  blossoms  then  are  found 
Downward  fluttering  to  the  ground, 
Hoping  she  may  tread  on  them. 
And  bright  flowers  on  slender  stem 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  57 

Gaze  up  at  her  as  she  passes, 
Brushing  lightly  through  the  grasses. 
Oh!  my  Princess,  birds  above 
Echo  back  our  songs  of  love, 
As  through  this  enchanted  land 
Blithe  we  wander,  hand  in  hand. 

They  really  were  as  happy  as  the  day  was  long.  All 
the  King's  unsuccessful  rivals  had  gone  home  in  de- 
spair. They  said  good-by  to  the  Princess  so  sadly 
that  she  could  not  help  being  sorry  for  them. 

"  Ah !  madam,"  the  King  of  the  Gold  Mines  said 
to  her,  "  how  is  this  ?  Why  do  you  waste  your  pity 
on  these  princes,  who  love  you  so  much  that  all  their 
trouble  would  be  well  repaid  by  a  single  smile  from 
you?" 

"  I  should  be  sorry,"  answered  Bellissima,  "  if  you 
had  not  noticed  how  much  I  pitied  these  princes  who 
were  leaving  me  forever;  but  for  you,  sire,  it  is  very 
different:  you  have  every  reason  to  be  pleased  with 
me,  but  they  are  going  sorrowfully  away,  so  you  must 
not  grudge  them  my  compassion." 

The  King  of  the  Gold  Mines  was  quite  overcome  by 
the  Princess's  good-natured  way  of  taking  his  inter- 
ference, and,  throwing  himself  at  her  feet,  he  kissed 
her  hand  a  thousand  times  and  begged  her  to  forgive 
him. 

At  last  the  happy  day  came.  Everything  was  ready 
for  Bellissima's  wedding.  The  trumpets  sounded,  all 
the  streets  of  the  town  were  hung  with  flags  and 
strewn  with  flowers,  and  the  people  ran  in  crowds  to 
the  great  square  before  the  palace.     The  Queen  was 


58  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

so  over- joyed  that  she  had  hardly  been  able  to  sleep 
at  all,  and  she  got  up  before  it  was  light  to  give  the 
necessary  orders  and  to  choose  the  jewels  that  the 
Princess  was  to  wear.  These  were  nothing  less  than 
diamonds,  even  to  her  shoes,  which  were  covered  with 
them,  and  her  dress  of  silver  brocade  was  embroidered 
with  a  dozen  of  the  sun's  rays.  You  may  imagine 
how  much  these  had  cost ;  but  then  nothing  could  have 
been  more  brilliant,  except  the  beauty  of  the  Princess ! 
Upon  her  head  she  wore  a  splendid  crown,  her  lovely 
hair  waved  nearly  to  her  feet,  and  her  stately  figure 
could  easily  be  distinguished  among  all  the  ladies  who 
attended  her. 

The  King  of  the  Gold  Mines  was  not  less  noble  and 
splendid;  it  was  easy  to  see  by  his  face  how  happy 
he  was,  and  every  one  who  went  near  him  returned 
loaded  with  presents,  for  all  round  the  great  banquet- 
ing hall  had  been  arranged  a  thousand  barrels  full  of 
gold,  and  numberless  bags  made  of  velvet  embroidered 
with  pearls  and  filled  with  money,  each  one  contain- 
ing at  least  a  hundred  thousand  gold  pieces,  which 
were  given  away  to  every  one  who  liked  to  hold  out 
his  hand,  which  numbers  of  people  hastened  to  do,  you 
may  be  sure  —  indeed,  some  found  this  by  far  the 
most  amusing  part  of  the  wedding  festivities. 

The  Queen  and  the  Princess  were  just  ready  to  set 
out  with  the  King  when  they  saw,  advancing  towards 
them  from  the  end  of  the  long  gallery,  two  great 
basilisks,  dragging  after  them  a  very  badly  made  box; 
behind  them  came  a  tall  old  woman,  whose'  ugliness 
was  even  more  surprising  than  her  extreme  old  age. 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  59 

She  wore  a  ruff  of  black  taffeta,  a  red  velvet  hood,  and 
a  farthingale  all  in  rags,  and  she  leaned  heavily  upon  a 
crutch.  This  strange  old  woman,  without  saying  a 
single  word,  hobbled  three  times  round  the  gallery, 
followed  by  the  basilisks,  then  stopping  in  the  middle, 
and  brandishing  her  crutch  threateningly,  she  said : 

"  Ho,  ho,  Queen !  Ho,  ho,  Princess !  Do  you  think 
you  are  going  to  break  with  impunity  the  promise 
that  you  made  to  my  friend  the  Yellow  Dwarf?  I  am 
the  Fairy  of  the  Desert;  without  the  Yellow  Dwarf 
and  his  orange  tree  my  great  lions  would  soon  have 
eaten  you  up,  I  can  tell  you,  and  in  Fairyland  we  do 
not  suffer  ourselves  to  be  insulted  like  this.  Make  up 
your  minds  at  once  what  you  will  do,  for  I  vow  that 
you  shall  marry  the  Yellow  Dwarf.  If  you  don't, 
may  I  burn  my  crutch!  " 

"  Ah !  Princess,"  said  the  Queen,  weeping,  "  what 
is  this  that  I  hear?     What  have  you  promised?  " 

"  Ah !  my  mother,"  replied  Bellissima  sadly,  "  what 
did  you  promise,  yourself?  " 

The  King  of  the  Gold  Mines,  indignant  at  being  kept 
from  his  happiness  by  this  wicked  old  woman,  went  up 
to  her,  and  threatening  her  with  his  sword,  said : 

"  Get  away  out  of  my  country  at  once,  and  forever, 
miserable  creature,  lest  I  take  your  life,  and  so  rid 
myself  of  your  malice." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  these  words  when  the  lid  of 
the  box  fell  back  on  the  floor  with  a  terrible  noise,  and 
to  their  horror  out  sprang  the  Yellow  Dwarf,  mounted 
upon  a  great  Spanish  cat.  "  Rash  youth !  "  he  cried, 
rushing  between  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert  and  the  King. 


6o 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF 


"Dare  to  lay  a  finger  upon  this  illustrious  Fairy! 
Your  quarrel  is  with  me  only.  I  am  your  enemy  and 
your  rival.  That  faithless  Princess  who  would  have 
married  you  is  promised  to  me.  See  if  she  has  not 
upon  her  finger  a  ring  made  of  one  of  my  hairs.     Just 

try  to  take  it  off,  and 
you  will  soon  find 
out  that  I  am  more 
powerful  than  you 
are!" 

"  Wretched  little 
monster !  "  said  the 
King ;  "  do  you  dare 
to  call  yourself  the 
Princess's  lover,  and 
to  lay  claim  to  such 
a  treasure  ?  Do  you 
know  that  you  are  a 
dwarf  —  that  you 
are  so  ugly  that  one 
cannot  bear  to  look 
at  you  —  and  that  I 
should  have  killed  you  myself  long  before  this  if  you 
had  been  worthy  of  such  a  glorious  death?  " 

The  Yellow  Dwarf,  deeply  enraged  at  these  words, 
set  spurs  to  his  cat,  which  yelled  horribly,  and  leapt 
hither  and  thither  —  terrifying  everybody  except  the 
brave  King,  who  pursued  the  Dwarf  closely,  till  he, 
drawing  a  great  knife  with  which  he  was  armed, 
challenged  the  King  to  meet  him  in  single  combat,  and 
rushed  down  into  the  courtyard  of  the  palace  with  a 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  61 

terrible  clatter.  The  King,  quite  provoked,  followed 
him  hastily,  but  they  had  hardly  taken  their  places 
facing  one  another,  and  the  whole  Court  had  only  just 
had  time  to  rush  out  upon  the  balconies  to  watch  what 
was  going  on,  when  suddenly  the  sun  became  as  red 
as  blood,  and  it  was  so  dark  that  they  could  scarcely 
see  at  all.  The  thunder  crashed,  and  the  lightning 
seemed  as  if  it  must  burn  up  everything;  the  two 
basilisks  appeared,  one  on  each  side  of  the  bad  Dwarf, 
like  giants,  mountains  high,  and  fire  flew  from  their 
mouths  and  ears,  until  they  looked  like  flaming 
furnaces.  None  of  these  things  could  terrify  the 
noble  young  King,  and  the  boldness  of  his  looks  and 
actions  reassured  those  who  were  looking  on,  and 
perhaps  even  embarrassed  the  Yellow  Dwarf  himself; 
but  even  his  courage  gave  way  when  he  saw  what  was 
happening  to  his  beloved  Princess.  For  the  Fairy  of 
the  Desert,  looking  more  terrible  than  before,  mounted 
upon  a  winged  griffin,  and  with  long  snakes  coiled 
round  her  neck,  had  given  her  such  a  blow  with  the 
lance  she  carried  that  Bellissima  fell  into  the  Queen's 
arms  bleeding  and  senseless.  Her  fond  mother,  feel- 
ing as  much  hurt  by  the  blow  as  the  Princess  herself, 
uttered  such  piercing  cries  and  lamentations  that  the 
King,  hearing  them,  entirely  lost  his  courage  and 
presence  of  mind.  Giving  up  the  combat,  he  flew 
towards  the  Princess,  to  rescue  or  to  die  with  her; 
but  the  Yellow  Dwarf  was  too  quick  for  him.  Leap- 
ing with  his  Spanish  cat  upon  the  balcony,  he  snatched 
Bellissima  from  the  Queen's  arms,  and  before  any  of 
the  ladies  of  the  Court  could  stop  him  he  had  sprung 


62  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

upon  the  roof  of  the  palace  and  disappeared  with  his 
prize. 

The  King,  motionless  with  horror,  looked  on 
despairingly  at  this  dreadful  occurrence,  which  he  was 
quite  powerless  to  prevent,  and  to  make  matters  worse 
his  sight  failed  him,  everything  became  dark,  and  he 
felt  himself  carried  along  through  the  air  by  a  strong 
hand. 

This  new  misfortune  was  the  work  of  the  wicked 
Fairy  of  the  Desert,  who  had  come  with  the  Yellow 
Dwarf  to  help  him  carry  off  the  Princess,  and  had 
fallen  in  love  with  the  handsome  young  King  of  the 
Gold  Mines  directly  she  saw  him.  She  thought  that 
if  she  carried  him  off  to  some  frightful  cavern  and 
chained  him  to  a  rock,  then  the  fear  of  death  would 
make  him  forget  Bellissima  and  become  her  slave.  So, 
as  soon  as  they  reached  the  place,  she  gave  him  back 
his  sight,  but  without  releasing  him  from  his  chains, 
and  by  her  magic  power  she  appeared  before  him  as  a 
young  and  beautiful  fairy,  and  pretended  to  have 
come  there  quite  by  chance. 

"What  do  I  see?"  she  cried.  "Is  it  you,  dear 
Prince?  What  misfortune  has  brought  you  to  this 
dismal  place  ?  " 

The  King,  who  was  quite  deceived  by  her  altered 
appearance,  replied: 

"Alas!  beautiful  Fairy,  the  fairy  who  brought  me 
here  first  took  away  my  sight,  but  by  her  voice  I 
recognized  her  as  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert,  though  what 
she  should  have  carried  me  off  for  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"Ah!"  cried  the  pretended  Fairy,  "if  you  have 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  63 

fallen  into  her  hands,  you  won't  get  away  until  you 
have  married  her.  She  has  carried  off  more  than  one 
Prince  like  this,  and  she  will  certainly  have  anything 
she  takes  a  fancy  to."  While  she  was  thus  pretending 
to  be  sorry  for  the  King,  he  suddenly  noticed  her  feet, 
which  were  like  those  of  a  griffin,  and  knew  in  a 
moment  that  this  must  be  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert,  for 
her  feet  were  the  one  thing  she  could  not  change, 
however  pretty  she  might  make  her  face. 

Without  seeming  to  have  noticed  anything,  he  said, 
in  a  confidential  way: 

"  Not  that  I  have  any  dislike  to  the  Fairy  of  the 
Desert,  but  I  really  cannot  endure  the  way  in  which 
she  protects  the  Yellow  Dwarf  and  keeps  me  chained 
here  like  a  criminal.  It  is  true  that  I  love  a  charming 
princess,  but  if  the  Fairy  should  set  me  free  my  grati- 
tude, would  oblige  me  to  love  her  only." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  what  you  say,  Prince?  "  said 
the  Fairy,  quite  deceived. 

"  Surely,"  replied  the  Prince;  "  how  could  I  deceive 
you?  You  see  it  is  so  much  more  flattering  to  my 
vanity  to  be  loved  by  a  fairy  than  by  a  simple  princess. 
But,  even  if  I  am  dying  of  love  for  her,  I  shall  pretend 
to  hate  her  until  I  am  set  free." 

The  Fairy  of  the  Desert,  quite  taken  in  by  these 
words,  resolved  at  once  to  transport  the  Prince  to  a 
pleasanter  place.  So,  making  him  mount  her  chariot, 
to  which  she  had  harnessed  swans  instead  of  the  bats 
which  generally  drew  it,  away  she  flew  with  him. 
But  imagine  the  distress  of  the  Prince  when,  from 
the  giddy  height  at  which  they  were  rushing  through 

vol.  1 — 6 


64  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

the  air,  he  saw  his  beloved  Princess  in  a  castle  built 
of  polished  steel,  the  walls  of  which  reflected  the  sun's 
rays  so  hotly  that  no  one  could  approach  it  without 
being  burnt  to  a  cinder!  Bellissima  was  sitting  in  a 
little  thicket  by  a  brook,  leaning  her  head  upon  her 
hand  and  weeping  bitterly,  but  just  as  they  passed  she 
looked  up  and  saw  the  King  and  the  Fairy  of  the 
Desert.  Now,  the  Fairy  was  so  clever  that  she  could 
not  only  seem  beautiful  to  the  King,  but  even  the  poor 
Princess  thought  her  the  most  lovely  being  she  had 
ever  seen. 

"What!"  she  cried;  "was  I  not  unhappy  enough 
in  this  lonely  castle  to  which  that  frightful  Yellow 
Dwarf  brought  me?  Must  I  also  be  made  to  know 
that  the  King  of  the  Gold  Mines  ceased  to  love  me  as 
soon  as  he  lost  sight  of  me?  But  who  can  my  rival 
be,  whose  fatal  beauty  is  greater  than  mine?  " 

While  she  was  saying  this,  the  King,  who  really 
loved  her  as  much  as  ever,  was  feeling  terribly  sad  at 
being  so  rapidly  torn  away  from  his  beloved  Princess, 
but  he  knew  too  well  how  powerful  the  Fairy  was  to 
have  any  hope  of  escaping  from  her  except  by  great 
patience  and  cunning. 

The  Fairy  of  the  Desert  had  also  seen  Bellissima, 
and  she  tried  to  read  in  the  King's  eyes  the  effect  that 
this  unexpected  sight  had  had  upon  him. 

"  No  one  can  tell  you  what  you  wish  to  know 
better  than  I  can,"  said  he.  "  This  chance  meeting 
with  an  unhappy  princess  for  whom  I  once  had  a 
passing  fancy,  before  I  was  lucky  enough  to  meet  you, 
has  affected  me  a  little,  I  admit,  but  you  are  so  much 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  65 

more  to  me  than  she  is  that  I  would  rather  die  than 
leave  you." 

"  Ah !  Prince,"  she  said,  "  can  I  believe  that  you 
really  love  me  so  much?  " 

"  Time  will  show,  madam,"  replied  the  King ;  "  but 
if  you  wish  to  convince  me  that  you  have  some 
regard  for  me,  do  not,  I  beg  of  you,  refuse  to  aid 
Bellissima." 

"Do  you  know  what  you  are  asking?"  said  the 
Fairy  of  the  Desert,  frowning,  and  looking  at  him 
suspiciously.  "  Do  you  want  me  to  employ  my  art 
against  the  Yellow  Dwarf,  who  is  my  best  friend,  and 
take  away  from  him  a  proud  princess  whom  I  can 
but  look  upon  as  my  rival?  " 

The  King  sighed,  but  made  no  answer  —  indeed, 
what  was  there  to  be  said  to  such  a  clear-sighted 
person?  At  last  they  reached  a  vast  meadow,  gay 
with  all  sorts  of  flowers;  a  deep  river  surrounded  it, 
and  many  little  brooks  murmured  softly  under  the 
shady  trees,  where  it  was  always  cool  and  fresh.  A 
little  way  off  stood  a  splendid  palace,  the  walls  of  which 
were  of  transparent  emeralds.  As  soon  as  the  swans 
which  drew  the  Fairy's  chariot  had  alighted  under  a 
porch,  which  was  paved  with  diamonds  and  had  arches 
of  rubies,  they  were  greeted  on  all  sides  by  thousands 
of  beautiful  beings,  who  came  to  meet  them  joyfully, 
singing  these  words : 

When  Love  within  a  heart  would  reign, 
Useless  to  strive  against  him  'tis. 

The  proud  but  feel  a  sharper  pain, 
And  make  a  greater  triumph  his. 


66  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

The  Fairy  of  the  Desert  was  delighted  to  hear  them 
sing  of  her  triumphs;  she  led  the  King  into  the  most 
splendid  room  that  can  be  imagined,  and  left  him  alone 
for  a  little  while,  just  that  he  might  not  feel  that  he 
was  a  prisoner ;  but  he  felt  sure  that  she  had  not  really 
gone  quite  away,  but  was  watching  him  from  some  hid- 
ing-place. So  walking  up  to  a  great  mirror,  he  said  to 
it,  "  Trusty  counsellor,  let  me  see  what  I  can  do  to  make 
myself  agreeable  to  the  charming  Fairy  of  the  Desert; 
for  I  can  think  of  nothing  but  how  to  please  her." 

And  he  at  once  set  to  work  to  curl  his  hair,  and, 
seeing  upon  a  table  a  grander  coat  than  his  own,  he 
put  it  on  carefully.  The  Fairy  came  back  so  delighted 
that  she  could  not  conceal  her  joy. 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  the  trouble  you  have  taken  to 
please  me,"  said  she,  "  and  I  must  tell  you  that  you 
have  succeeded  perfectly  already.  You  see  it  is  not 
difficult  to  do  if  you  really  care  for  me." 

The  King,  who  had  his  own  reasons  for  wishing  to 
keep  the  old  Fairy  in  a  good  humor,  did  not  spare 
pretty  speeches,  and  after  a  time  he  was  allowed  to 
walk  by  himself  upon  the  sea-shore.  The  Fairy  of 
the  Desert  had  by  her  enchantments  raised  such  a  ter- 
rible stormj  that  the  boldest  pilot  would  not  venture 
out  in  it,  so  she  was  not  afraid  of  her  prisoner's  being 
able  to  escape;  and  he  found  it  some  relief  to  think 
sadly  over  his  terrible  situation  without  being  inter- 
rupted by  his  cruel  captor. 

Presently,  after  walking  wildly  up  and  down,  he 
wrote  these  verses  upon  the  sand  with  his  stick : 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  67 

At  last  may  I  upon  this  shore 

Lighten  my  sorrow  with  soft  tears. 
Alas!  alas!  I  see  no  more 

My  Love,  who  yet  my  sadness  cheers. 

And  thou,  O  raging,  stormy  Sea, 

Stirred  by  wild  winds,  from  depth  to  height, 

Thou  hold'st  my  loved  one  far  from  me, 
And  I  am  captive  to  thy  might. 

My  heart  is  still  more  wild  than  thine, 

For  Fate  is  cruel  unto  me. 
Why  must  I  thus  in  exile  pine? 

Why  is  my  Princess  snatched  from  me? 

O !  lovely  Nymphs,  from  ocean  caves, 

Who  know  how  sweet  true  love  may  be, 

Come  up  and  calm  the  furious  waves 
And  set  a  desperate  lover  free! 

While  he  was  still  writing  he  heard  a  voice  which 
attracted  his  attention  in  spite  of  himself.  Seeing 
that  the  waves  were  rolling  in  higher  than  ever,  he 
looked  all  round  him,  and  presently  saw  a  lovely  lady 
floating  gently  towards  him  upon  the  crest  of  a  huge 
billow,  her  long  hair  spread  all  about  her ;  in  one  hand 
she  held  a  mirror,  and  in  the  other  a  comb,  and  instead 
of  feet  she  had  a  beautiful  tail  like  a  fish,  with  which 
she  swam. 

The  King  was  struck  dumb  with  astonishment  at  this 
unexpected  sight;  but  as  soon  as  she  came  within 
speaking  distance,  she  said  to  him,  "  I  know  how  sad 
you  are  at  losing  your  Princess  and  being  kept  a 
prisoner  by  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert;  if  you  like  I  will 


68 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF 


help  you  to  escape  from  this  fatal  place,  where  you 
may  otherwise  have  to  drag  on  a  weary  existence  for 
thirty  years  or  more." 

The  King  of  the  Gold  Mines  hardly  knew  what 
answer  to  make  to  this  proposal.     Not  because  he  did 


not  wish  very  much  to  escape,  but  he  was  afraid  that 
this  might  be  only  another  device  by  which  the  Fairy 
of  the  Desert  was  trying  to  deceive  him.  As  he 
hesitated  the  Mermaid,  who  guessed  his  thoughts,  said 
to  him : 

"  You  may  trust  me :  I  am  not  trying  to  entrap  you. 
I  am  so  angry  with  the  Yellow  Dwarf  and  the  Fairy  of 
the  Desert  that  I  am  not  likely  to  wish  to  help  them, 
especially  since  I  constantly  see  your  poor  Princess, 
whose  beauty  and  goodness  make  me  pity  her  so  much : 
and  I  tell  you  that  if  you  will  have  confidence  in  me 
I  will  help  you  to  escape." 

"  I  trust  you  absolutely,"  cried  the  King,  "  and  I 
will  do  whatever  you  tell  me;  but  if  you  have  seen  my 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  69 

Princess  I  beg  of  you  to  tell  me  how  she  is  and  what 
is  happening  to  her." 

"  We  must  not  waste  time  in  talking,"  said  she. 
"  Come  with  me  and  I  will  carry  you  to  the  Castle  of 
Steel,  and  we  will  leave  upon  this  shore  a  figure  so  like 
you  that  even  the  Fairy  herself  will  be  deceived  by  it." 

So  saying  she  quickly  collected  a  bundle  of  sea-weed, 
and,  blowing  it  three  times,  she  said : 

"  My  friendly  sea-weeds,  I  order  you  to  stay  here 
stretched  upon  the  sand  until  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert 
comes  to  take  you  away."  And  at  once  the  sea-weeds 
became  like  the.  King,  who  stood  looking  at  them  in 
great  astonishment,  for  they  were  even  dressed  in  a 
coat  like  his,  but  they  lay  there  pale  and  still  as  the 
King  himself  might  have  lain  if  one  of  the  great  waves 
had  overtaken  him  and  thrown  him  senseless  upon  the 
shore.  And  then  the  Mermaid  caught  up  the  King, 
and  away  they  swam  joyfully  together. 

"  Now,"  said  she,  "  I  have  time  to  tell  you  about  the 
Princess.  In  spite  of  the  blow  which  the  Fairy  of  the 
Desert  gave  her,  the  Yellow  Dwarf  compelled  her  to 
mount  behind  him  upon  his  terrible  Spanish  cat;  but 
she  soon  fainted  away  with  pain  and  terror,  and  did 
not  recover  till  they  were  within  the  walls  of  his 
frightful  Castle  of  Steel.  Here  she  was  received  by 
the  prettiest  girls  it  was  possible  to  find,  who  had  been 
carried  there  by  the  Yellow  Dwarf,  who  hastened  to 
wait  upon  her  and  showed  her  every  possible  attention. 
She  was  laid  upon  a  couch  covered  with  cloth  of  gold, 
embroidered  with  pearls  as  big  as  nuts/' 

"  Ah!  "  interrupted  the  King  of  the  Gold  Mines,  "  if 


;o  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

Bellissima  forgets  me,  and  consents  to  marry  him,  I 
shall  break  my  heart." 

"  You  need  not  be  afraid  of  that,"  answered  the 
Mermaid;  "  the  Princess  thinks  of  no  one  but  you,  and 
the  frightful  Dwarf  cannot  persuade  her  to  look  at 
him." 

"  Pray  go  on  with  your  story,"  said  the  King. 

"  What  more  is  there  to  tell  you  ?  "  replied  the  Mer- 
maid. "  Bellissima  was  sitting  in  the  wood  when  you 
passed,  and  saw  you  with  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert,  who 
was  so  cleverly  disguised  that  the  Princess  took  her  to 
be  prettier  than  herself;  you  may  imagine  her  despair, 
for  she  thought  that  you  had  fallen  in  love  with  her." 

"  She  believes  that  I  love  her !  "  cried  the  King. 
"  What  a  fatal  mistake !  What  is  to  be  done  to  un- 
deceive her?  " 

"  You  know  best,"  answered  the  Mermaid,  smiling 
kindly  at  him.  "  When  people  are  as  much  in  love 
with  one  another  as  you  two  are,  they  don't  need  advice 
from  any  one  else." 

As  she  spoke  they  reached  the  Castle  of  Steel,  the 
side  next  the  sea  being  the  only  one  which  the  Yellow 
Dwarf  had  left  unprotected  by  the  dreadful  burning 
walls. 

"  I  know  quite  well,"  said  the  Mermaid,  "  that  the 
Princess  is  sitting  by  the  brook-side,  just  where  you 
saw  her  as  you  passed,  but  as  you  will  have  many 
enemies  to  fight  with  before  you  can  reach  her,  take 
this  sword;  armed  with  it  you  may  dare  any  danger, 
and  overcome  the  greatest  difficulties,  only  beware  of 
one  thing  —  that  is,  never  to  let  it  fall  from  your 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  71 

hand.  Farewell ;  now  I  will  wait  by  that  rock,  and  if 
you  need  my  help  in  carrying  off  your  beloved  Princess 
I  will  not  fail  you,  for  the  Queen,  her  mother,  is  my 
best  friend,  and  it  was  for  her  sake  that  I  went  to 
rescue  you." 

So  saying,  she  gave  to  the  King  a  sword  made  from 
a  single  diamond,  which  was  more  brilliant  than  the 
sun.  He  could  not  find  words  to  express  his  gratitude, 
but  he  begged  her  to  believe  that  he  fully  appreciated 
the  importance  of  her  gift,  and  would  never  forget 
her  help  and  kindness. 

We  must  now  go  back  to  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert. 
When  she  found  that  the  King  did  not  return,  she 
hastened  out  to  look  for  him,  and  reached  the  shore, 
with  a  hundred  of  the  ladies  of  her  train,  loaded  with 
splendid  presents  for  him.  Some  carried  baskets  full 
of  diamonds,  others  golden  cups  of  wonderful  work- 
manship, and  amber,  coral,  and  pearls,  others,  again, 
balanced  upon  their  heads  bales  of  the  richest  and  most 
beautiful  stuffs,  while  the  rest  brought  fruit  and 
flowers,  and  even  birds.  But  what  was  the  horror  of 
the  Fairy,  who  followed  this  gay  troop,  when  she  saw, 
stretched  upon  the  sands,  the  image  of  the  King  which 
the  Mermaid  had  made  with  the  sea-weeds.  Struck 
with  astonishment  and  sorrow,  she  uttered  a  terrible 
cry,  and  threw  herself  down  beside  the  pretended  King, 
weeping,  and  howling,  and  calling  upon  her  eleven 
sisters,  who  were  also  fairies,  and  who  came  to  her 
assistance.  But  they  were  all  taken  in  by  the  image  of 
the  King,  for,  clever  as  they  were,  the  Mermaid  was 
still  cleverer,  and  all  they  could  do  was  to  help  the 


J2  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

Fairy  of  the  Desert  to  make  a  wonderful  monument 
over  what  they  thought  was  the  grave  of  the  King  of 
the  Gold  Mines.  But  while  they  were  collecting  jasper 
and  porphyry,  agate  and  marble,  gold  and  bronze, 
statues  and  devices,  to  immortalize  the  King's  memory, 
he  was  thanking  the  good  Mermaid  and  begging  her 
still  to  help  him,  which  she  graciously  promised  to  do 
as  she  disappeared ;  and  then  he  set  out  for  the  Castle 
of  Steel.  He  walked  fast,  looking  anxiously  round 
him,  and  longing  once  more  to  see  his  darling  Bellis- 
sima,  but  he  had  not  gone  far  before  he  was  surrounded 
by  four  terrible  sphinxes  who  would  very  soon  have 
torn  him  to  pieces  with  their  sharp  talons  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  Mermaid's  diamond  sword.  For,  no 
sooner  had  he  flashed  it  before  their  eyes  than  down 
they  fell  at  his  feet  quite  helpless,  and  he  killed  them 
with  one  blow.  But  he  had  hardly  turned  to  continue 
his  search  when  he  met  six  dragons  covered  with  scales 
that  were  harder  than  iron.  Frightful  as  this  en- 
counter was  the  King's  courage  was  unshaken,  and  by 
the  aid  of  his  wonderful  sword  he  cut  them  in  pieces 
one  after  the  other.  Now  he  hoped  his  difficulties 
were  over,  but  at  the  next  turning  he  was  met  by  one 
which  he  did  not  know  how  to  overcome.  Four-and- 
twenty  pretty  and  graceful  nymphs  advanced  towards 
him,  holding  garlands  of  flowers,  with  which  they 
barred  the  way. 

"Where  are  you  going,  Prince?"  they  said;  "it 
is  our  duty  to  guard  this  place,  and  if  we  let  you  pass 
great  misfortunes  will  happen  to  you  and  to  us.  We 
beg  you  not  to  insist  upon  going  on.     Do  you  want 


THE    KING    OF    THE    GOLD    MINES    ENCOUNTERS    THE    FOUR-AND 
TWENTY   MAIDENS 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  73 

to  kill  f our-and-twenty  girls  who  have  never  displeased 
you  in  any  way?  " 

The  King  did  not  know  what  to  do  or  to  say.  It 
went  against  all  his  ideas  as  a  knight  to  do  anything 
a  lady  begged  him  not  to  do;  but,  as  he  hesitated,  a 
voice  in  his  ear  said : 

"  Strike !  strike !  and  do  not  spare,  or  your  Princess 
is  lost  forever !  " 

So,  without  replying  to  the  nymphs,  he  rushed 
forward  instantly,  breaking  their  garlands,  and  scat- 
tering them  in  all  directions;  and  then  went  on  with- 
out further  hindrance  to  the  little  wood  where 
he  had  seen  Bellissima.  She  was  seated  by  the 
brook  looking  pale  and  weary  when  he  reached 
her,  and  he  would  have  thrown  himself  down 
at  her  feet,  but  she  drew  herself  away  from  him  with 
as  much  indignation  as  if  he  had  been  the  Yellow 
Dwarf. 

"  Ah !  Princess,"  he  cried,  "  do  not  be  angry  with 
me.  Let  me  explain  everything.  I  am  not  faithless 
or  to  blame  for  what  has  happened.  I  am  a  miserable 
wretch  who  has  displeased  you  without  being  able  to 
help  himself." 

"  Ah !  "  cried  Bellissima,  "  did  I  not  see  you  flying 
through  the  air  with  the  loveliest  being  imaginable? 
Was  that  against  your  will?  " 

"  Indeed  it  was,  Princess,"  he  answered ;  "  the 
wicked  Fairy  of  the  Desert,  not  content  with  chaining 
me  to  a  rock,  carried  me  off  in  her  chariot  to  the  other 
end  of  the  earth,  where  I  should  even  now  be  a  captive 
but  for  the  unexpected  help  of  a  friendly  mermaid, 


74  THE  YELLOW  DWARF 

who  brought  me  here  to  rescue  you,  my  Princess,  from 
the  unworthy  hands  that  hold  you.  Do  not  refuse  the 
aid  of  your  most  faithful  lover."  So  saying,  he  threw 
himself  at  her  feet  and  held  her  by  her  robe.  But, 
alas!  in  so  doing  he  let  fall  the  magic  sword,  and  the 
Yellow  Dwarf,  who  was  crouching  behind  a  lettuce, 
no  sooner  saw  it  than  he  sprang  out  and  seized  it,  well 
knowing  its  wonderful  power. 

The  Princess  gave  a  cry  of  terror  on  seeing  the 
Dwarf,  but  this  only  irritated  the  little  monster;  mut- 
tering a  few  magical  words  he  summoned  two  giants, 
who  bound  the  King  with  great  chains  of  iron. 

"  Now,"  said  the  Dwarf,  "  I  am  master  of  my 
rival's  fate,  but  I  will  give  him  his  life  and  permission 
to  depart  unharmed  if  you,  Princess,  will  consent  to 
marry  me." 

"  Let  me  die  a  thousand  times  rather,"  cried  the  un- 
happy King. 

"Alas!"  cried  the  Princess,  "must  you  die? 
Could  anything  be  more  terrible?  " 

"  That  you  should  marry  that  little  wretch  would 
be  far  more  terrible,"  answered  the  King. 

"  At  least,"  continued  she,  "  let  us  die  together." 

"  Let  me  have  the  satisfaction  of  dying  for  you,  my 
Princess,"  said  he. 

"Oh,  no,  no!"  she  cried,  turning  to  the  Dwarf; 
"  rather  than  that  I  will  do  as  you  wish." 

"  Cruel  Princess !  "  said  the  King,  "  would  you  make 
my  life  horrible  to  me  by  marrying  another  before  my 
eyes?  " 

"Not  so,"  replied  the  Yellow  Dwarf;  "you  are  a 


THE  YELLOW  DWARF  75 

rival  of  whom  I  am  too  much  afraid :  you  shall  not  see 
our  marriage."  So  saying,  in  spite  of  Bellissima's 
tears  and  cries,  he  stabbed  the  King  to  the  heart  with 
the  diamond  sword. 

The  poor  Princess,  seeing  her  lover  lying  dead  at 
her  feet,  could  no  longer  live  without  him;  she  sank 
down  by  him  and  died  of  a  broken  heart. 

So  ended  these  unfortunate  lovers,  whom  not  even 
the  Mermaid  could  help,  because  all  the  magic  power 
had  been  lost  with  the  diamond  sword. 

As  to  the  wicked  Dwarf,  he  preferred  to  see  the 
Princess  dead  rather  than  married  to  the  King  of  the 
Gold  Mines;  and  the  Fairy  of  the  Desert,  when  she 
heard  of  the  King's  adventures,  pulled  down  the  grand 
monument  which  she  had  built,  and  was  so  angry  at 
the  trick  that  had  been  played  her  that  she  hated  him 
as  much  as  she  had  loved  him  before. 

The  kind  Mermaid,  grieved  at  the  sad  fate  of  the 
lovers,  caused  them  to  be  changed  into  two  tall  palm 
trees,  which  stand  always  side  by  side,  whispering 
together  of  their  faithful  love  and  caressing  one 
another  with  their  interlacing  branches.1 

1  Madame  d'Aulnoy. 


LITTLE  RED  RIDING-HOOD 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  in  a  certain  village  a 
little  country  girl,  the  prettiest  creature  was  ever 
seen.  Her  mother  was  excessively  fond  of  her;  and 
her  grandmother  doted  on  her  still  more.  This  good 
woman  got  made  for  her  a  little  red  riding-hood ;  which 
became  the  girl  so  extremely  well  that  everybody  called 
her  Little  Red  Riding-Hood. 

One  day  her  mother,  having  made  some  custards, 
said  to  her : 

"  Go,  my  dear,  and  see  how  thy  grandmamma  does, 
for  I  hear  she  has  been  very  ill;  carry  her  a  custard, 
and  this  little  pot  of  butter." 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood  set  out  immediately  to  go 
to  her  grandmother,   who   lived   in   another  village. 

As  she  was  going  through  the  wood,  she  met  with 
Gaffer  Wolf,  who  had  a  very  great  mind  to  eat  her  up, 
but  he  durst  not,  because  of  some  fagot-makers  hard 
by  in  the  forest.  He  asked  her  whither  she  was  going. 
The  poor  child,  who  did  not  know  that  it  was  dan- 
gerous to  stay  and  hear  a  wolf  talk,  said  to  him : 

"  I  am  going  to  see  my  grandmamma  and  carry  her 
a  custard  and  a  little  pot  of  butter  from  my  mamma." 

"  Does  she  live  far  off?"  said  the  Wolf. 

"Oh!  ay,"  answered  Little  Red  Riding-Hood;  "it 
is  beyond  that  mill  you  see  there,  at  the  first  house  in 
the  village." 

76 


LITTLE  RED  RIDING-HOOD 


77 


"  Well,"  said  the  Wolf,  "  and  I'll  go  and  see  her 
too.  I'll  go  this  way  and  go  you  that,  and  we  shall 
see  who  will  be  there  soonest." 

The  Wolf  began  to  run  as  fast  as  he  could,  taking 
the  nearest  way,  and  the  little  girl  went  by  that  farthest 


about,  diverting  herself  in  gathering  nuts,  running 
after  butterflies,  and  making  nosegays  of  such  little 
flowers  as  she  met  with.  The  Wolf  was  not  long 
before  he  got  to  the  old  woman's  house.  He  knocked 
at  the  door  —  tap,  tap. 

"Who's  there?" 

"Your  grandchild,  Little  Red  Riding-Hood,"  re- 
plied the  Wolf,  counterfeiting  her  voice ;  "  who  has 

VOL.  i  —  7 


j&  LITTLE  RED  RIDING-HOOD 

brought  you  a  custard  and  a  little  pot  of  butter  sent 
you  by  mamma." 

The  good  grandmother,  who  was  in  bed,  because 
she  was  somewhat  ill,  cried  out: 

"  Pull  the  bobbin,  and  the  latch  will  go  up." 

The  Wolf  pulled  the  bobbin,  and  the  door  opened, 
and  then  presently  he  fell  upon  the  good  woman  and 
ate  her  up  in  a  moment,  for  it  war  above  three  days 
that  he  had  not  touched  a  bit.  He  then  shut  the  door 
and  went  into  the  grandmother's  bed,  expecting  Little 
Red  Riding-Hood,  who  came  some  time  afterwards 
and  knocked  at  the  woor  — -  tap,  tap. 

"Who's  there?" 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood,  hearing  the  big  voice  of  the 
Wolf,  was  at  first  afraid;  but  believing  her  grand- 
mother had  got  a  cold  and  was  hoarse,  answered : 

"  'Tis  your  grandchild,  Little  Red  Riding-Hood, 
who  has  brought  you  a  custard  and  a  little  pot  of  butter 
mamma  sends  you." 

The  Wolf  cried  out  to  her,  softening  his  voice  as 
much  as  he  could : 

"  Pull  the  bobbin,  and  the  latch  will  go  up." 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood  pulled  the  bobbin,  and  the 
door  opened. 

The  Wolf,  seeing  her  come  in,  said  to  her,  hiding 
himself  under  the  bed-clothes : 

"  Put  the  custard  and  the  little  pot  of  butter  upon 
the  stool,  and  come  and  lie  down  with  me." 

Little  Red  Riding-Hood  undressed  herself  and  went 
into  bed,  where,  being  greatly  amazed  to  see  how  her 


LITTLE  RED  RIDING-HOOD  79 

grandmother  looked  in  her  night-clothes,  she  said  to 
her: 

"  Grandmamma,  what  great  arms  you  have  got !  " 
'  That  is  the  better  to  hug  thee,  my  dear." 
"  Grandmamma,  what  great  legs  you  have  got !  " 


"  That  is  to  run  the  better,  my  child." 
"  Grandmamma,  what  great  ears  you  have  got !  " 
'  That  is  to  hear  the  better,  my  child." 
"  Grandmamma,  what  great  eyes  you  have  got !  " 
"  It  is  to  see  the  better,  my  child." 
"  Grandmamma,  what  great  teeth  you  have  got !  " 
"  That  is  to  eat  thee  up." 

And,    saying    these    words,    this    wicked    wolf  fell 
upon  Little  Red  Riding-Hood,  and  ate  her  all  up. 


THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY  IN  THE  WOOD 

THERE  were  formerly  a  king  and  a  queen,  who 
were  so  sorry  that  they  had  no  children;  so 
sorry  that  it  cannot  be  expressed.  They  went  to  all 
the  waters  in  the  world;  vows,  pilgrimages,  all  ways 
were  tried,  and  all  to  no  purpose. 

At  last,  however,  the  Queen  had  a  daughter.  There 
was  a  very  fine  christening;  and  the  Princess  had  for 
her  god-mothers  all  the  fairies  they  could  find  in  the 
whole  kingdom  (they  found  seven),  that  every  one  of 
them  might  give  her  a  gift,  as  was  the  custom  of 
fairies  in  those  days.  By  this  means  the  Princess  had 
all  the  perfections  imaginable. 

After  the  ceremonies  of  the  christening  were  over, 
all  the  company  returned  to  the  King's  palace,  where 
was  prepared  a  great  feast  for  the  fairies.  There  was 
placed  before  every  one  of  them  a  magnificent  cover 
with  a  case  of  massive  gold,  wherein  were  a  spoon, 
knife,  and  fork,  all  of  pure  gold  set  with  diamonds 
and  rubies.  But  as  they  were  all  sitting  down  at  table 
they  saw  come  into  the  hall  a  very  old  fairy,  whom 
they  had  not  invited,  because  it  was  above  fifty  years 
since  she  had  been  out  of  a  certain  tower,  and  she 
was  believed  to  be  either  dead  or  enchanted. 

The  King  ordered  her  a  cover,  but  could  not  furnish 
her  with  a  case  of  gold  as  the  others,  because  they  had 

80 


THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 


81 


seven  only  made  for  the  seven  fairies.  The  old  Fairy- 
fancied  she  was  slighted,  and  muttered  some  threats 
between  her  teeth.  One  of  the  young  fairies  who  sat 
by  her  overheard  how  she  grumbled;  and,  judging 
that  she  might  give  the  little  Princess  some  unlucky 
gift,  went,  as  soon  as  they  rose  from  table,  and  hid 
herself  behind  the  hangings,  that  she  might  speak  last, 


and  repair,  as  much  as  she  could,  the  evil  which  the  old 
Fairy  might  intend. 

In  the  meanwhile  all  the  fairies  began  to  give  their 
gifts  to  the  Princess.  The  youngest  gave  her  for  gift 
that  she  should  be  the  most  beautiful  person  in  the 
world;  the  next,  that  she  should  have  the  wit  of  an 
angel;  the  third,  that  she  should  have  a  wonderful 
grace  in  everything  she  did ;  the  fourth,  that  she  should 
dance  perfectly  well;  the  fifth,  that  she  should  sing 


82  THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 

like  a  nightingale;  and  the  sixth,  that  she  should  play 
all  kinds  of  music  to  the  utmost  perfection. 

The  old  Fairy's  turn  coming  next,  with  a  head  shak- 
ing more  with  spite  than  age,  she  said  that  the  Princess 
should  have  her  hand  pierced  with  a  spindle  and  die 
of  the  wound.  This  terrible  gift  made  the  whole  com- 
pany tremble,  and  everybody  fell  a-crying. 

At  this  very  instant  the  young  Fairy  came  out  from 
behind  the  hangings,  and  spake  these  words  aloud : 

"  Assure  yourselves,  O  King  and  Queen,  that  your 
daughter  shall  not  die  of  this  disaster.  It  is  true,  I 
have  no  power  to  undo  entirely  what  my  elder  has 
done.  The  Princess  shall  indeed  pierce  her  hand  with 
a  spindle;  but,  instead  of  dying,  she  shall  only  fall  into 
a  profound  sleep,  which  shall  last  a  hundred  years,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  a  king's  son  shall  come  and 
awake  her." 

The  King,  to  avoid  the  misfortune  foretold  by  the 
old  Fairy,  caused  immediately  proclamation  to  be 
made,  whereby  everybody  was  forbidden,  on  pain  of 
death,  to  spin  with  a  distaff  and  spindle,  or  to  have  so 
much  as  any  spindle  in  their  houses.  About  fifteen  or 
sixteen  years  after,  the  King  and  Queen  being  gone  to 
one  of  their  houses  of  pleasure,  the  young  Princess 
happened  one  day  to  divert  herself  in  running  up 
and  down  the  palace;  when  going  up  from  one  apart- 
ment to  another,  she  came  into  a  little  room  on  the 
top  of  the  tower,  where  a  good  old  woman,  alone, 
was  spinning  with  her  spindle.  This  good  woman 
had  never  heard  of  the  King's  proclamation  against 
spindles. 


IN  THE  WOOD  83 

"  What  are  you  doing  there,  goody?"  said  the 
Princess. 

"  I  am  spinning,  my  pretty  child,"  said  the  old 
woman,  who  did  not  know  who  she  was. 

"  Ha!  "  said  the  Princess,  "  this  is  very  pretty;  how 
do  you  do  it?  Give  it  to  me,  that  I  may  see  if  I  can  do 
so." 

She  had  no  sooner  taken  it  into  her  hand  than, 
whether  being  very  hasty  at  it,  somewhat  unhandy,  or 
that  the  decree  of  the  Fairy  had  so  ordained  it,  it  ran 
into  her  hand,  and  she  fell  down  in  a  swoon. 

The  good  old  woman,  not  knowing  very  well  what 
to  do  in  this  affair,  cried  out  for  help.  People  came 
in  from  every  quarter  in  great  numbers;  they  threw 
water  upon  the  Princess's  face,  unlaced  her,  struck 
her  on  the  palms  of  her  hands,  and  rubbed  her  temples 
with  Hungary-water;  but  nothing  would  bring  her  to 
herself. 

And  now  the  King,  who  came  up  at  the  noise,  be- 
thought himself  of  the  prediction  of  the  fairies,  and 
judging  very  well  that  this  must  necessarily  come  to 
pass,  since  the  fairies  had  said  it,  caused  the  Princess 
to  be  carried  into  the  finest  apartment  in  his  palace, 
and  to  be  laid  upon  a  bed  all  embroidered  with  gold  and 
silver. 

One  would  have  taken  her  for  a  little  angel,  she  was 
so  very  beautiful;  for  her  swooning  away  had  not  di- 
minished one  bit  of  her  complexion:  her  cheeks  were 
carnation,  and  her  lips  were  coral;  indeed  her  eyes 
were  shut,  but  she  was  heard  to  breathe  softly,  which 
satisfied  those  about  her  that  she  was  not  dead.     The 


84  THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 

King  commanded  that  they  should  not  disturb  her,  but 
let  her  sleep  quietly  till  her  hour  of  awaking  was  come. 

The  good  Fairy  who  had  saved  her  life  by  con- 
demning her  to  sleep  a  hundred  years  was  in  the 
kingdom  of  Matakin,  twelve  thousand  leagues  off, 
when  this  accident  befell  the  Princess;  but  she  was 
instantly  informed  of  it  by  a  little  dwarf,  who  had 
boots  of  seven  leagues,  that  is,  boots  with  which  he 
could  tread  over  seven  leagues  of  ground  in  one  stride. 
The  Fairy  came  away  immediately,  and  she  arrived, 
about  an  hour  after,  in  a  fiery  chariot  drawn  by 
dragons. 

The  King  handed  her  out  of  the  chariot,  and  she 
approved  everything  he  had  done;  but  as  she  had 
very  great  foresight,  she  thought  when  the  Princess 
should  awake  she  might  not  know  what  to  do  with  her- 
self, being  all  alone  in  this  old  palace;  and  this  was 
what  she  did:  she  touched  with  her  wand  everything 
in  the  palace  (except  the  King  and  the  Queen) — 
governesses,  maids  of  honor,  ladies  of  the  bedchamber, 
gentlemen,  officers,  stewards,  cooks,  undercooks,  scul- 
lions, guards,  with  their  beefeaters,  pages,  footmen; 
she  likewise  touched  all  the  horses  which  were  in  the 
stables,  as  well  pads  as  others,  the  great  dogs  in  the 
outward  court  and  pretty  little  Mopsey  too,  the  Prin- 
cess's little  spaniel,  which  lay  by  her  on  the  bed. 

Immediately  upon  her  touching  them  they  all  fell 
asleep,  that  they  might  not  awake  before  their  mistress, 
and  that  they  might  be  ready  to  wait  upon  her  when 
she  wanted  them.  The  very  spits  at  the  fire,  as  full  as 
they  could  hold  of  partridges  and  pheasants,  did  fall 


IN  THE  WOOD  85 

asleep  also.  All  this  was  done  in  a  moment.  Fairies 
are  not  long  in  doing  their  business. 

And  now  the  King  and  the  Queen,  having  kissed 
their  dear  child  without  waking  her,  went  out  of  the 
palace  and  put  forth  a  proclamation  that  nobody 
should  dare  to  come  near  it. 

This,  however,  was  not  necessary,  for  in  a  quarter 
of  an  hour's  time  there  grew  up  all  round  about  the 
park  such  a  vast  number  of  trees,  great  and  small, 
bushes  and  brambles,  twining  one  within  another,  that 
neither  man  nor  beast  could  pass  through;  so  that 
nothing  could  be  seen  but  the  very  top  of  the  towers 
of  the  palace;  and  that,  too,  not  unless  it  was  a  good 
way  off.  Nobody  doubted  but  the  Fairy  gave  herein 
a  very  extraordinary  sample  of  her  art,  that  the  Prin- 
cess, while  she  continued  sleeping,  might  have  nothing 
to  fear  from  any  curious  people. 

When  a  hundred  years  were  gone  and  passed  the 
son  of  the  King  then  reigning,  and  who  was  of  another 
family  from  that  of  the  sleeping  Princess,  being  gone 
a-hunting  on  that  side  of  the  country,  asked: 

What  those  towers  were  which  he  saw  in  the  middle 
of  a  great  thick  wood? 

Every  one  answered  according  as  they  had  heard. 
Some  said : 

That  it  was  a  ruinous  old  castle,  haunted  by  spirits ; 

Others:  That  all  the  sorcerers  and  witches  of  the 
country  kept  there  their  sabbath  or  night's  meeting. 

The  common  opinion  was:  That  an  ogre  lived 
there,  and  that  he  carried  thither  all  the  little  children 
he  could  catch,  that  he  might  eat  them  up  at  his  leisure, 


86 


THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 


without  anybody  being  able  to  follow  him,  as  having 
himself  only  the  power  to  pass  through  the  wood. 

The  Prince  was  at  a  stand,  not  knowing  what  to  be- 
lieve, when  a  very  aged  countryman  spake  to  him 
thus: 

"  May  it  please  your  royal  highness,  it  is  now  about 
fifty  years  since  I  heard  from  my  father,  who  heard 
my  grandfather  say,  that  there  was  then  in  this  castle 

a  princess,  the  most  beau- 
tiful was  ever  seen ;  that  she 
must  sleep  there  a  hundred 
years,  and  should  be  waked 
by  a  king's  son,  for  whom 
she  was  reserved." 

The  young  Prince  was  all 
on  fire  at  these  words,  be- 
lieving, without  weighing  the 
matter,  that  he  could  put  an 
end  to  this  rare  adventure; 
and,  pushed  on  by  love  and 
honor,  resolved  that  moment 
to  look  into  it. 
Scarce  had  he  advanced  towards  the  wood  when 
all  the  great  trees,  the  bushes,  and  brambles  gave  way 
of  themselves  to  let  him  pass  through;  he  walked 
up  to  the  castle  which  he  saw  at  the  end  of  a  large 
avenue  which  he  went  into ;  and  what  a  little  surprised 
him  was  that  he  saw  none  of  his  people  could  follow 
him,  because  the  trees  closed  again  as  soon  as  he  had 
passed   through   them.     However,   he   did   not  cease 


m 

f^S^ 

fell 

S'Wr  "Till  ■VJ*' 

mmsmm 

IN  THE  WOOD  87 

from  continuing  his  way ;  a  young  and  amorous  prince 
is  always  valiant. 

He  came  into  a  spacious  outward  court,  where  every- 
thing he  saw  might  have  frozen  up  the  most  fearless 
person  with  horror.  There  reigned  over  all  a  most 
frightful  silence;  the  image  of  death  everywhere 
showed  itself,  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but 
stretched-out  bodies  of  men  and  animals,  all  seeming 
to  be  dead.  He,  however,  very  well  knew,  by  the  ruby 
faces  and  pimpled  noses  of  the  beefeaters,  that  they 
were  only  asleep;  and  their  goblets,  wherein  still  re- 
mained some  drops  of  wine,  showed  plainly  that  they 
fell  asleep  in  their  cups. 

He  then  crossed  a  court  paved  with  marble,  went  up 
the  stairs  and  came  into  the  guard  chamber,  where 
guards  were  standing  in  their  ranks,  with  their  muskets 
upon  their  shoulders,  and  snoring  as  loud  as  they 
could.  After  that  he  went  through  several  rooms 
full  of  gentlemen  and  ladies,  all  asleep,  some  standing, 
others  sitting.  At  last  he  came  into  a  chamber  all 
gilded  with  gold,  where  he  saw  upon  a  bed,  the  curtains 
of  which  were  all  open,  the  finest  sight  was  ever  be- 
held —  a  princess,  who  appeared  to  be  about  fifteen  or 
sixteen  years  of  age,  and  whose  bright  and,  in  a  man- 
ner, resplendent  beauty,  had  somewhat  in  it  divine. 
He  approached  with  trembling  and  admiration,  and  fell 
down  before  her  upon  his  knees. 

And  now,  as  the  enchantment  was  at  an  end,  the 
Princess  awaked,  and  looking  on  him  v/ith  eyes  more 
tender  than  the  first  view  might  seem  to  admit  of : 


88  THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 

"  Is  it  you,  my  Prince  ? "  said  she  to  him.  "  You 
have  waited  a  long  while." 

The  Prince,  charmed  with  these  words,  and  much 
more  with  the  manner  in  which  they  were  spoken, 
knew  not  how  to  show  his  joy  and  gratitude;  he  as- 
sured her  that  he  loved  her  better  than  he  did  himself ; 
their  discourse  was  not  well  connected,  they  did  weep 
more  than  talk  —  little  eloquence,  a  great  deal  of  love. 
He  was  more  at  a  loss  than  she,  and  we  need  not 
wonder  at  it:  she  had  time  to  think  on  what  to  say 
to  him;  for  it  is  very  probable  (though  history 
mentions  nothing  of  it)  that  the  good  Fairy,  during  so 
long  a  sleep,  had  given  her  very  agreeable  dreams.  In 
short,  they  talked  four  hours  together,  and  yet  they 
said  not  half  what  they  had  to  say. 

In  the  meanwhile  all  the  palace  awaked;  every  one 
thought  upon  their  particular  business,  and  as  all  of 
them  were  not  in  love  they  were  ready  to  die  for 
hunger.  The  chief  lady  of  honor,  being  as  sharp  set 
as  other  folks,  grew  very  impatient,  and  told  the  Prin- 
cess aloud  that  supper  was  served  up.  The  Prince 
helped  the  Princess  to  rise;  she  was  entirely  dressed, 
and  very  magnificently,  but  his  royal  highness  took 
care  not  to  tell  her  that  she  was  dressed  like  his  great- 
grandmother,  and  had  a  point  band  peeping  over  a 
high  collar ;  she  looked  not  a  bit  the  less  charming  and 
beautiful  for  all  that. 

They  went  into  the  great  hall  of  looking-glasses, 
where  they  supped,  and  were  served  by  the  Princess's 
officers ;  the  violins  and  hautboys  played  old  tunes,  but 
very  excellent,  though  it  was  now  above  a  hundred 


IN  THE  WOOD  89 

years  since  they  had  played ;  and  after  supper,  without 
losing  any  time,  the  lord  almoner  married  them  in  the 
chapel  of  the  castle,  and  the  chief  lady  of  honor  drew 
the  curtains.  They  had  but  very  little  sleep  —  the 
Princess  had  no  occasion;  and  the  Prince  left  her  next 
morning  to  return  into  the  city,  where  his  father  must 
needs  have  been  in  pain  for  him.  The  Prince  told 
him: 

That  he  lost  his  way  in  the  forest  as  he  was  hunting, 
and  that  he  had  lain  in  the  cottage  of  a  charcoal- 
burner,  who  gave  him  cheese  and  brown  bread. 

The  King,  his  father,  who  was  a  good  man,  believed 
him;  but  his  mother  could  not  be  persuaded  it  was 
true ;  and  seeing  that  he  went  almost  every  day  a-hunt- 
ing,  and  that  he  always  had  some  excuse  ready  for  so 
doing,  though  he  had  lain  out  three  or  four  nights 
together,  she  began  to  suspect  that  he  was  married, 
for  he  lived  with  the  Princess  above  two  whole  years, 
and  had  by  her  two  children,  the  eldest  of  which,  who 
was  a  daughter,  was  named  Morning,  and  the  youngest, 
who  was  a  son,  they  called  Day,  because  he  was  a  great 
deal  handsomer  and  more  beautiful  than  his  sister. 

The  Queen  spoke  several  times  to  her  son,  to  inform 
herself  after  what  manner  he  did  pass  his  time,  and 
that  in  this  he  ought  in  duty  to  satisfy  her.  But  he 
never  dared  to  trust  her  with  his  secret ;  he  feared  her, 
though  he  loved  her,  for  she  was  of  the  race  of  the 
Ogres,  and  the  King  would  never  have  married  her 
had  it  not  been  for  her  vast  riches;  it  was  even 
whispered  about  the  Court  that  she  had  Ogreish  in- 
clinations, and  that,  whenever  she  saw  little  children 


9o  THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 

passing  by,  she  had  all  the  difficulty  in  the  world  to 
avoid  falling  upon  them.  And  so  the  Prince  would 
never  tell  her  one  word. 

But  when  the  King  was  dead,  which  happened  about 
two  years  afterwards,  and  he  saw  himself  lord  and 
master,  he  openly  declared  his  marriage ;  and  he  went 
in  great  ceremony  to  conduct  his  Queen  to  the  palace. 
They  made  a  magnificent  entry  into  the  capital  city, 
she  riding  between  her  two  children. 

Soon  after  the  King  went  to  make  war  with  the 
Emperor  Contalabutte,  his  neighbor.  He  left  the 
government  of  the  kingdom  to  the  Queen  his  mother, 
and  earnestly  recommended  to  her  care  his  wife  and 
children.  He  was  obliged  to  continue  his  expedition 
all  the  summer,  and  as  soon  as  he  departed  the  Queen- 
mother  sent  her  daughter-in-law  to  a  country  house 
among  the  woods,  that  she  might  with  the  more  ease 
gratify  her  horrible  longing. 

Some  few  days  afterwards  she  went  thither  herself, 
and  said  to  her  clerk  of  the  kitchen : 

"  I  have  a  mind  to  eat  little  Morning  for  my  dinner 
to-morrow." 

"  Ah !  madam,"  cried  the  clerk  of  the  kitchen. 

"  I  will  have  it  so,"  replied  the  Queen  (and  this  she 
spoke  in  the  tone  of  an  Ogress  who  had  a  strong  desire 
to  eat  fresh  meat),  ".and  will  eat  her  with  a  sauce 
Robert/' 

The  poor  man,  knowing  very  well  that  he  must  not 
play  tricks  with  Ogresses,  took  his  great  knife  and 
went  up  into  little  Morning's  chamber.  She  was  then 
four  years   old,   and   came   up   to   him   jumping  and 


IN  THE  WOOD 


9* 


laughing,  to  take  him  about  the  neck,  and  ask  him  for 
some  sugar-candy.  Upon  which  he  began  to  weep,  the 
great  knife  fell  out  of  his  hand,  and  he  went  into  the 
back  yard,  and  killed  a  little  lamb,  and  dressed  it  with 
such  good  sauce  that  his  mistress  assured  him  she  had 
never  eaten  anything  so  good  in  her  life.  He  had  at 
the  same  time  taken  up  little  Morning,  and  carried  her 
to  his  wife,  to  conceal  her  in  the  lodging  he  had  at  the 
bottom  of  the  courtyard. 


•  About  eight  days  afterwards  the  wicked  Queen 
said  to  the  clerk  of  the  kitchen,  "  I  will  sup  upon  little 
Day." 

He  answered  not  a  word,  being  resolved  to  cheat  her 
as  he  had  done  before.  He  went  to  find  out  little  Day, 
and  saw  him  with  a  little  foil  in  his  hand,  with  which 
he  was  fencing  with  a  great  monkey,  the  child  being 
then  only  three  years  of  age.  He  took  him  up  in  his 
arms  and  carried  him  to  his  wife,  that  she  might  con- 


92  THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 

ceal  him  in  her  chamber  along  with  his  sister,  and  in 
the  room  of  little  Day  cooked  up  a  young  kid,  very 
tender,  which  the  Ogress  found  to  be  wonderfully 
good. 

This  was  hitherto  all  mighty  well ;  but  one  evening 
this  wicked  Queen  said  to  her  clerk  of  the  kitchen: 

"  I  will  eat  the  Queen  with  the  same  sauce  I  had 
with  her  children." 

It  was  now  that  the  poor  clerk  of  the  kitchen  de- 
spaired of  being  able  to  deceive  her.  The  young 
Queen  was  turned  of  twenty,  not  reckoning  the 
hundred  years  she  had  been  asleep;  and  how  to  find 
in  the  yard  a  beast  so  firm  was  what  puzzled  him.  He 
took  then  a  resolution,  that  he  might  save  his  own  life, 
to  cut  the  Queen's  throat;  and  going  up  into  her 
chamber,  with  intent  to  do  it  at  once,  he  put  himself 
into  as  great  fury  as  he  could  possibly,  and  came  into 
the  young  Queen's  room  with  his  dagger  in  his  hand. 
He  would  not,  however,  surprise  her,  but  told  her,  with 
a  great  deal  of  respect,  the  orders  he  had  received  from 
the  Queen-mother. 

"Do  it!  do  it,"  (said  she,  stretching  out  her  neck). 
"  Execute  your  orders,  and  then  I  shall  go  and  see  my 
children,  my  poor  children,  whom  I  so  much  and  so 
tenderly  loved." 

For  she  thought  them  dead  ever  since  they  had  been 
taken  away  without  her  knowledge. 

"  No,  no,  madam  "  (cried  the  poor  clerk  of  the 
kitchen,  all  in  tears)  ;  "  you  shall  not  die,  and  yet  you 
shall  see  your  children  again;  but  then  you  must  go 
home  with  me  to  my  lodgings,  where  I  have  concealed 


IN  THE  WOOD  93 

them,  and  I  shall  deceive  the  Queen  once  more,  by 
giving  her  in  your  stead  a  young  hind." 

Upon  this  he  forthwith  conducted  her  to  his  chamber, 
where,  leaving  her  to  embrace  her  children,  and  cry 
along  with  them,  he  went  and  dressed  a  young  hind, 
which  the  Queen  had  for  her  supper,  and  devoured  it 
with  the  same  appetite  as  if  it  had  been  the  young 
Queen.  Exceedingly  was  she  delighted  with  her 
cruelty,  and  she  had  invented  a  story  to  tell  the  King, 
at  his  return,  how  the  mad  wolves  had  eaten  up  the 
Queen  his  wife  and  her  two  children. 

One  evening,  as  she  was,  according  to  her  custom, 
rambling  round  about  the  courts  and  yards  of  the 
palace  to  see  if  she  could  smell  any  fresh  meat,  she 
heard,  in  a  ground  room,  little  Day  crying,  for  his 
mamma  was  going  to  whip  him,  because  he  had  been 
naughty ;  and  she  heard,  at  the  same  time,  little  Morn- 
ing begging  pardon  for  her  brother. 

The  Ogress  presently  knew  the  voice  of  the  Queen 
and  her  children,  and  being  quite  mad  that  she  had 
been  thus  deceived,  she  commanded  next  morning,  by 
break  of  day  (with  a  most  horrible  voice,  which  made 
everybody  tremble),  that  they  should  bring  into  the 
middle  of  the  great  court  a  large  tub,  which  she  caused 
to  be  rilled  with  toads,  vipers,  snakes,  and  all  sorts  of 
serpents,  in  order  to  have  thrown  into  it  the  Queen 
and  her  children,  the  clerk  of  the  kitchen,  his  wife  and 
maid ;  all  whom  she  had  given  orders  should  be  brought 
thither  with  their  hands  tied  behind  them. 

They  were  brought  out  accordingly,  and  the 
executioners  were  just  going  to  throw  them  into  the 

vol.  i  —  8 


94  THE  SLEEPING  BEAUTY 

tub,  when  the  King  (who  was  not  so  soon  expected) 
entered  the  court  on  horseback  (for  he  came  post)  and 
asked,  with  the  utmost  astonishment,  what  was  the 
meaning  of  that  horrible  spectacle. 

No  one  dared  to  tell  him,  when  the  Ogress,  all  en- 
raged to  see  what  had  happened,  threw  herself  head 
foremost  into  the  tub,  and  was  instantly  devoured  by 
the  ugly  creatures  she  had  ordered  to  be  thrown  into 
it  for  others.  The  King  could  not  but  be  very  sorry, 
for  she  was  his  mother;  but  he  soon  comforted  himself 
with  his  beautiful  wife  and  his  pretty  children. 


CINDERELLA 
OR  THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER 

ONCE  there  was  a  gentleman  who  married,  for 
his  second  wife,  the  proudest  and  most  haughty 
woman  that  was  ever  seen.  She  had,  by  a  former 
husband,  two  daughters  of  her  own  humor,  who  were, 
indeed,  exactly  like  her  in  all  things.  He  had  likewise, 
by  another  wife,  a  young  daughter,  but  of  unparalleled 
goodness  and  sweetness  of  temper,  which  she  took 
from  her  mother,  who  was  the  best  creature  in  the 
world. 

No  sooner  were  the  ceremonies  of  the  wedding  over 
but  the  mother-in-law  began  to  show  herself  in  her 
true  colors.  She  could  not  bear  the  good  qualities  of 
this  pretty  girl,  and  the  less  because  they  made  her  own 
daughters  appear  the  more  odious.  She  employed  her 
in  the  meanest  work  of  the  house :  she  scoured  the 
dishes,  tables,  etc.,  and  scrubbed  madam's  chamber, 
and  those  of  misses,  her  daughters;  she  lay  up  in  a 
sorry  garret,  upon  a  wretched  straw  bed,  while  her 
sisters  lay  in  fine  rooms,  with  floors  all  inlaid,  upon  beds 
of  the  very  newest  fashion,  and  where  they  had  look- 
ing-glasses so  large  that  they  might  see  themselves  at 
their  full  length  from  head  to  foot. 

The  poor  girl  bore  all  patiently,  and  dared  not  tell 
her  father,  who  would  have  rattled  her  off ;  for  his  wife 
governed  him  entirely.     When  she  had  done  her  work, 

95 


96 


CINDERELLA,  OR 


she  used  to  go  into  the  chimney-corner,  and  sit  down 
among  cinders  and  ashes,  which  made  her  commonly 
be  called  Cinderwench;  but  the  youngest,  who  was  not 


so  rude  and  uncivil  as  the  eldest,  called  her  Cinderella. 
However,  Cinderella,  notwithstanding  her  mean  ap- 
parel, was  a  hundred  times  handsomer  than  her  sisters, 
though  they  were  always  dressed  very  richly. 


THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER  97 

It  happened  that  the  King's  son  gave  a  ball,  and  in- 
vited all  persons  of  fashion  to  it.  Our  young  misses 
were  also  invited,  for  they  cut  a  very  grand  figure 
among  the  quality.  They  were  mightily  delighted  at 
this  invitation,  and  wonderfully  busy  in  choosing  out 
such  gowns,  petticoats,  and  head-clothes  as  might  be- 
come them.  This  was  a  new  trouble  to  Cinderella ; 
for  it  was  she  who  ironed  her  sisters'  linen,  and  plaited 
their  ruffles;  they  talked  all  day  long  of  nothing  but 
how  they  should  be  dressed. 

"  For  my  part,"  said  the  eldest,  "  I  will  wear  my  red 
velvet  suit  with  French  trimming." 

"  And  I,"  said  the  youngest,  "  shall  have  my  usual 
petticoat ;  but  then,  to  make  amends  for  that,  I  will  put 
on  my  gold-flowered  manteau,  and  my  diamond 
stomacher,  which  is  far  from  being  the  most  ordinary 
one  in  the  world." 

They  sent  for  the  best  tire-woman  they  could  get  to 
make  up  their  head-dresses  and  adjust  their  double 
pinners,  and  they  had  their  red  brushes  and  patches 
from  Mademoiselle  de  la  Poche. 

Cinderella  was  likewise  called  up  to  them  to  be  con- 
sulted in  all  these  matters,  for  she  had  excellent 
notions,  and  advised  them  always  for  the  best,  nay, 
and  offered  her  services  to  dress  their  heads,  which 
they  were  very  willing  she  should  do.  As  she  was 
doing  this,  they  said  to  her: 

"  Cinderella,  would  you  not  be  glad  to  go  to  the 
ball?" 

"  Alas!  "  said  she,  "  you  only  jeer  me;  it  is  not  for 
such  as  I  am  to  go  thither." 


98  CINDERELLA,  OR 

"  Thou  art  in  the  right  of  it,"  replied  they;  "  it 
would  make  the  people  laugh  to  see  a  Cinderwench  at 
a  ball." 

Any  one  but  Cinderella  would  have  dressed  their 
heads  awry,  but  she  was  very  good,  and  dressed  them 
perfectly  well.  They  were  almost  two  days  without 
eating,  so  much  they  were  transported  with  joy.  They 
broke  above  a  dozen  of  laces  in  trying  to  be  laced  up 
close,  that  they  might  have  a  fine  slender  shape,  and 
they  were  continually  at  their  looking-glass.  At  last 
the  happy  day  came;  they  went  to  Court,  and  Cin- 
derella followed  them  with  her  eyes  as  long  as  she 
could,  and  when  she  had  lost  sight  of  them,  she  fell 
a-crying. 

Her  godmother,  who  saw  her  all  in  tears,  asked  her 
what  was  the  matter. 

"  I  wish  I  could  —  I  wish  I  could  — " ;  she  was  not 
able  to  speak  the  rest,  being  interrupted  by  her  tears 
and  sobbing. 

This  godmother  of  hers,  who  was  a  fairy,  said  to 
her,  "  Thou  wishest  thou  couldst  go  to  the  ball ;  is  it 
not  so?" 

"  Y  —  es,"  cried  Cinderella,  with  a  great  sigh. 

"  Well,"  said  her  godmother,  "  be  but  a  good  girl, 
and  I  will  contrive  that  thou  shalt  go."  Then  she  took 
her  into  her  chamber,  and  said  to  her,  "  Run  into  the 
garden,  and  bring  me  a  pumpkin." 

Cinderella  went  immediately  to  gather  the  finest  she 
could  get,  and  brought  it  to  her  godmother,  not  being 
able  to  imagine  how  this  pumpkin  could  make  her  go  to 


THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER 


99 


the  ball.  Her  godmother  scooped  out  all  the  inside 
of  it,  having  left  nothing  but  the  rind;  which  done, 
she  struck  it  with  her  wand,  and  the  pumpkin  was  in- 
stantly turned  into  a  fine  coach,  gilded  all  over  with 
gold. 


She  then  went  to  look  into  her  mouse-trap,  where 
she  found  six  mice,  all  alive,  and  ordered  Cinderella  to 
lift  up  a  little  trapdoor,  when,  giving  each  mouse, 
as  it  went  out,  a  little  tap  with  her  wand,  the  mouse 
was  that  moment  turned  into  a  fine  horse,  which  alto- 


ioo  CINDERELLA,  OR 

gether  made  a  very  fine  set  of  six  horses  of  a  beautiful 
mouse-colored  dapple-gray.  Being  at  a  loss  for  a 
coachman, 

"  I  will  go  and  see,"  says  Cinderella,  "  if  there  is 
never  a  rat  in  the  rat-trap  —  we  may  make  a  coachman 
of  him." 

"  Thou  art  in  the  right,"  replied  her  godmother;  "  go 
and  look." 

Cinderella  brought  the  trap  to  her,  and  in  it  there 
were  three  huge  rats.  The  fairy  made  choice  of  one 
of  the  three  which  had  the  largest  beard,  and,  having 
touched  him  with  her  wand,  he  was  turned  into  a  fat, 
jolly  coachman,  who  had  the  smartest  whiskers  eyes 
ever  beheld.     After  that,  she  said  to  her : 

"  Go  again  into  the  garden,  and  you  will  find  six 
lizards  behind  the  watering-pot,  bring  them  to  me." 

She  had  no  sooner  done  so  but  her  godmother  turned 
them  into  six  footmen,  who  skipped  up  immediately 
behind  the  coach,  with  their  liveries  all  bedaubed  with 
gold  and  silver,  and  clung  as  close  behind  each  other 
as  if  they  had  done  nothing  else  their  whole  lives. 
The  Fairy  then  said  to  Cinderella: 

"  Well,  you  see  here  an  equipage  fit  to  go  to  the  ball 
with ;  are  you  not  pleased  with  it  ?  " 

"  Oh !  yes,"  cried  she ;  "  but  must  I  go  thither  as  I 
am,  in  these  nasty  rags?  " 

Her  godmother  only  just  touched  her  with  her  wand, 
and,  at  the  same  instant,  her  clothes  were  turned  into 
cloth  of  gold  and  silver,  all  beset  with  jewels.  This 
done,  she  gave  her  a  pair  of  glass  slippers,  the  prettiest 
in  the  whole  world.     Being  thus  decked  out,  she  got 


THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER         101 

up  into  her  coach ;  but  her  godmother,  above  all  things, 
commanded  her  not  to  stay  till  after  midnight,  telling 
her,  at  the  same  time,  that  if  she  stayed  one  moment 
longer,  the  coach  would  be  a  pumpkin  again,  her  horses 
mice,  her  coachman  a  rat,  her  footmen  lizards,  and  her 
clothes  become  just  as  they  were  before. 

She  promised  her  godmother  she  would  not  fail  of 
leaving  the  ball  before  midnight;  and  then  away  she 
drives,  scarce  able  to  contain  herself  for  joy.  The 
King's  son,  who  was  told  that  a  great  princess,  whom 
nobody  knew,  was  come,  ran  out  to  receive  her;  he 
gave  her  his  hand  as  she  alighted  out  of  the  coach,  and 
led  her  into  the  hall,  among  all  the  company.  There 
was  immediately  a  profound  silence,  they  left  off 
dancing,  and  the  violins  ceased  to  play,  so  attentive  was 
every  one  to  contemplate  the  singular  beauties  of  the 
unknown  new-comer.  Nothing  was  then  heard  but  a 
confused  noise  of : 

"  Ha !  how  handsome  she  is !  Ha !  how  handsome 
she  is!" 

The  King  himself,  old  as  he  was,  could  not  help 
watching  her,  and  telling  the  Queen  softly  that  it  was 
a  long  time  since  he  had  seen  so  beautiful  and  lovely 
a  creature. 

All  the  ladies  were  busied  in  considering  her  clothes 
and  headdress,  that  they  might  have  some  made  next 
day  after  the  same  pattern,  provided  they  could  meet 
with  such  fine  materials  and  as  able  hands  to  make 
them. 

The  King's  son  conducted  her  to  the  most  honorable 
seat,  and  afterwards  took  her  out  to  dance  with  him ; 


102  CINDERELLA,  OR 

she  danced  so  very  gracefully  that  they  all  more  and 
more  admired  her.  A  fine  collation  was  served  up, 
whereof  the  young  prince  ate  not  a  morsel,  so  intently 
was  he  busied  in  gazing  on  her. 

She  went  and  sat  down  by  her  sisters,  showing  them 
a  thousand  civilities,  giving  them  part  of  the  oranges 
and  citrons  which  the  Prince  had  presented  her  with, 
which  very  much  surprised  them,  for  they  did  not 
know  her.  While  Cinderella  was  thus  amusing  her 
sisters,  she  heard  the  clock  strike  eleven  and  three- 
quarters,  whereupon  she  immediately  made  a  courtesy 
to  the  company  and  hasted  away  as  fast  as  she  could. 

Being  got  home,  she  ran  to  seek  out  her  godmother, 
and,  after  having  thanked  her,  she  said  she  could  not 
but  heartily  wish  she  might  go  next  day  to  the  ball, 
because  the  King's  son  had  desired  her. 

As  she  was  eagerly  telling  her  godmother  whatever 
had  passed  at  the  ball,  her  two  sisters  knocked  at  the 
door,  which  Cinderella  ran  and  opened. 

"  How  long  you  have  stayed !  "  cried  she,  gaping, 
rubbing  her  eyes  and  stretching  herself  as  if  she  had 
been  just  waked  out  of  her  sleep;  she  had  not,  how- 
ever, any  manner  of  inclination  to  sleep  since  they  went 
from  home. 

"If  thou  hadst  been  at  the  ball,"  says  one  of  her 
sisters,  "  thou  wouldst  not  have  been  tired  with  it. 
There  came  thither  the  finest  princess,  the  most  beauti- 
ful ever  was  seen  with  mortal  eyes;  she  showed  us  a 
thousand  civilities,  and  gave  us  oranges  and  citrons." 

Cinderella  seemed  very  indifferent  in  the  matter; 
indeed,  she  asked  them  the  name  of  that  princess;  but 


THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER         103 

they  told  her  they  did  not  know  it,  and  that  the  King's 
son  was  very  uneasy  on  her  account  and  would  give 
all  the  world  to  know  who  she  was.  At  this  Cin- 
derella, smiling,  replied : 

"She  must,  then,  be  very  beautiful  indeed;  how 
happy  you  have  been !  Could  not  I  see  her  ?  Ah !  dear 
Miss  Charlotte,  do  lend  me  your  yellow  suit  of  clothes 
which  you  wear  every  day." 

"  Aye,  to  be  sure !  "  cried  Miss  Charlotte ;  "  lend  my 
clothes  to  such  a  dirty  Cinderwench  as  thou  art!  I 
should  be  a  fool." 

Cinderella,  indeed,  expected  well  such  answer,  and 
was  very  glad  of  the  refusal ;  for  she  would  have  been 
sadly  put  to  it  if  her  sister  had  lent  her  what  she  asked 
for  jestingly. 

The  next  day  the  two  sisters  were  at  the  ball,  and  so 
was  Cinderella,  but  dressed  more  magnificently  than 
before.  The  King's  son  was  always  by  her,  and  never 
ceased  his  compliments  and  kind  speeches  to  her;  to 
whom  all  this  was  so  far  from  being  tiresome  that  she 
quite  forgot  what  her  godmother  had  recommended  to 
her;  so  that  she,  at  last,  counted  the  clock  striking 
twelve  when  she  took  it  to  be  no  more  than  eleven ;  she 
then  rose  up  and  fled,  as  nimble  as  a  deer.  The  Prince 
followed,  but  could  not  overtake  her.  She  left  be- 
hind one  of  her  glass  slippers,  which  the  Prince  took 
up  most  carefully.  She  got  home,  but  quite  out  of 
breath,  and  in  her  nasty  old  clothes,  having  nothing 
left  her  of  all  her  finery  but  one  of  the  little  slippers, 
fellow  to  that  she  dropped.  The  guards  at  the  palace 
gate  were  asked : 


io4  CINDERELLA,  OR 

If  they  had  not  seen  a  princess  go  out. 

Who  said :  They  had  seen  nobody  go  out  but  a  young 
girl,  very  meanly  dressed,  and  who  had  more  the  air 
of  a  poor  country  wench  than  a  gentlewoman. 

When  the  two  sisters  returned  from  the  ball  Cin- 
derella asked  them:  If  they  had  been  well  diverted, 
and  if  the  fine  lady  had  been  there. 

They  told  her:  Yes,  but  that  she  hurried  away  im- 
mediately when  it  struck  twelve,  and  with  so  much 
haste  that  she  dropped  one  of  her  little  glass  slippers, 
the  prettiest  in  the  world,  which  the  King's  son  had 
taken  up;  that  he  had  done  nothing  but  look  at  her 
all  the  time  at  the  ball,  and  that  most  certainly  he  was 
very  much  in  love  with  the  beautiful  person  who  owned 
the  glass  slipper. 

What  they  said  was  very  true ;  for  a  few  days  after 
the  King's  son  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed,  by  sound  of 
trumpet,  that  he  would  marry  her  whose  foot  this 
slipper  would  just  fit.  They  whom  he  employed  began 
to  try  it  upon  the  princesses,  then  the  duchesses  and  all 
the  Court,  but  in  vain ;  it  was  brought  to  the  two  sisters, 
who  did  all  they  possibly  could  to  thrust  their  foot  into 
the  slipper,  but  they  could  not  effect  it.  Cinderella, 
who  saw  all  this,  and  knew  her  slipper,  said  to  them, 
laughing : 

"  Let  me  see  if  it  will  not  fit  me." 

Her  sisters  burst  out  a-laughing,  and  began  to  banter 
her.  The  gentleman  who  was  sent  to  try  the  slipper 
looked  earnestly  at  Cinderella,  and,  finding  her  very 
handsome,  said : 


CINDERELLA'S   FLIGHT 


THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER        105 

It  was  but  just  that  she  should  try,  and  that  he  had 
orders  to  let  every  one  make  trial. 

He  obliged  Cinderella  to  sit  down,  and,  putting  the 
slipper  to  her  foot,  he  found  it  went  on  very  easily, 
and  fitted  her  as  if  it  had  been  made  of  wax.  The 
astonishment  her  two  sisters  were  in  was  excessively 
great,  but  still  abundantly  greater  when  Cinderella 
pulled  out  of  her  pocket  the  other  slipper,  and  put  it 
on  her  foot.  Thereupon,  in  came  her  godmother, 
who,  having  touched  with  her  wand  Cinderella's 
clothes,  made  them  richer  and  more  magnificent  than 
any  of  those  she  had  before. 

And  now  her  two  sisters  found  her  to  be  that  fine, 
beautiful  lady  whom  they  had  seen  at  the  ball.  They 
threw  themselves  at  her  feet  to  beg  pardon  for  all  the 
ill-treatment  they  had  made  her  undergo.  Cinderella 
took  them  up,  and,  as  she  embraced  them,  cried : 

That  she  forgave  them  with  all  her  heart,  and  de- 
sired them  always  to  love  her. 

She  was  conducted  to  the  young  Prince,  dressed  as 
she  was ;  he  thought  her  more  charming  than  ever,  and, 
a  few  days  after,  married  her.  Cinderella,  who  was  no 
less  good  than  beautiful,  gave  her  two  sisters  lodgings 
in  the  palace,  and  that  very  same  day  matched  them 
with  two  great  lords  of  the  Court.1 

1  Charles  Perrault. 


ALADDIN  AND  THE  WONDERFUL  LAMP 

THERE  once  lived  a  poor  tailor,  who  had  a  son 
called  Aladdin,  a  careless,  idle  boy  who  would 
do  nothing  but  play  all  day  long  in  the  streets  with 
little  idle  boys  like  himself.  This  so  grieved  the  father 
that  he  died;  yet,  in  spite  of  his  mother's  tears  and 
prayers,  Aladdin  did  not  mend  his  ways.  One  day, 
when  he  was  playing  in  the  streets  as  usual,  a  stranger 
asked  him  his  age,  and  if  he  was  not  the  son  of  Mus- 
tapha  the  tailor.  "I  am,  sir,"  replied  Aladdin;  "but 
he  died  a  long  while  ago."  On  this  the  stranger,  who 
was  a  famous  African  magician,  fell  on  his  neck  and 
kissed  him,  saying :  "  I  am  your  uncle,  and  knew  you 
from  your  likeness  to  my  brother.  Go  to  your  mother 
and  tell  her  I  am  coming."  Aladdin  ran  home  and 
told  his  mother  of  his  newly  found  uncle.  "  Indeed, 
child,"  she  said,  "  your  father  had  a  brother,  but  I  al- 
ways thought  he  was  dead."  However,  she  prepared 
supper,  and  bade  Aladdin  seek  his  uncle,  who  came 
laden  with  wine  and  fruit.  He  presently  fell  down 
and  kissed  the  place  where  Mustapha  used  to  sit,  bid- 
ding Aladdin's  mother  not  to  be  surprised  at  not  hav- 
ing seen  him  before,  as  he  had  been  forty  years  out 
of  the  country.  He  then  returned  to  Aladdin,  and 
asked  him  his  -trade,  at  which  the  boy  hung  his  head, 
while  his  mother  burst  into  tears.     On  learning  that 

106 


WONDERFUL  LAMP 


107 


Aladdin  was  idle  and  would  learn  no  trade,  he  offered 
to  take  a  shop  for  him  and  stock  it  with  merchandise. 
Next  day  he  bought  Aladdin  a  fine  suit  of  clothes  and 
took  him  all  over  the  city,  showing  him  the  sights, 
and  brought  him  home  at  nightfall  to  his  mother,  who 
was  overjoyed  to  see  her  son  so  fine. 

Next  day  the  ma-  f — ^nrc 
gician  led  Aladdin  \  *  |'l 
into  some  beautiful 
gardens  a  long  way 
outside  the  city  gates. 
They  sat  down  by  a 
fountain  and  the  ma- 
gician pulled  a  cake 
from  his  girdle, 
which  he  divided  be- 
tween them.  They 
journeyed  onwards 
till  they  almost 
reached  the  moun- 
tains. Aladdin  was 
so  tired  that  he 
begged  to  go  back, 
but  the  magician  be- 
guiled him  with  pleasant  stories,  and  led  him  on  in 
spite  of  himself.  At  last  they  came  to  two  mountains 
divided  by  a  narrow  valley.  ,"  We  will  go  no  far- 
ther," said  the  false  uncle.  "  I  will  show  you 
something  wonderful;  only  do  you  gather  up  sticks 
while  I  kindle  a  fire."  When  it  was  lit  the  magician 
threw   on   it    a   powder   he   had   about   him,   at   the 

vol.  1  —  9 


108  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

same  time  saying  some  magical  words.  The  earth 
trembled  a  little  and  opened  in  front  of  them,  dis- 
closing a  square  flat  stone  with  a  brass  ring  in  the 
middle  to  raise  it  by.  Aladdin  tried  to  run  away, 
but  the  magician  caught  him  and  gave  him  a  blow 
that  knocked  him  down.  "  What  have  I  done, 
uncle?"  he  said  piteously;  whereupon  the  magician 
said  more  kindly :  "  Fear  nothing,  but  obey  me.  Be- 
neath this  stone  lies  a  treasure  which  is  to  be  yours, 
and  no  one  else  may  touch  it,  so  you  must  do  exactly 
as  I  tell  you."  At  the  word  treasure  Aladdin  forgot 
his  fears,  and  grasped  the  ring  as  he  was  told,  saying 
the  names  of  his  father  and  grandfather.  The  stone 
came  up  quite  easily,  and  some  steps  appeared.  "  Go 
down,"  said  the  magician;  "  at  the  foot  of  those  steps 
you  will  find  an  open  door  leading  into  three  large 
halls.  Tuck  up  your  gown  and  go  through  them  with- 
out touching  anything,  or  you  will  die  instantly. 
These  halls  lead  into  a  garden  of  fine  fruit  trees. 
Walk  on  till  you  come  to  a  niche  in  a  terrace  where 
stands  a  lighted  lamp.  Pour  out  the  oil  it  contains, 
and  bring  it  me."  He  drew  a  ring  from  his  finger  and 
gave  it  to  Aladdin,  bidding  him  prosper. 

Aladdin  found  everything  as  the  magician  had  said, 
gathered  some  fruit  off  the  trees,  and,  having  got  the 
lamp,  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  The  magician 
cried  out  in  a  great  hurry :  "  Make  haste  and  give 
me  the  lamp."  This  Aladdin  refused  to  do  until  he 
was  out  of  the  cave.  The  magician  flew  into  a  ter- 
rible passion,  and  throwing  some  more  powder  on  to 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  109 

the  fire,  he  said  something,  and  the  stone  rolled  back 
into  its  place. 

The  magician  left  Persia  forever,  which  plainly 
showed  that  he  was  no  uncle  of  Aladdin's,  but  a  cun- 
ning magician,  who  had  read  in  his  magic  books  of  a 
wonderful  lamp,  which  would  make  him  the  most 
powerful  man  in  the  world.  Though  he  alone  knew 
where  to  find  it,  he  could  only  receive  it  from  the 
hand  of  another.  He  had  picked  out  the  foolish  Alad- 
din for  this  purpose,  intending  to  get  the  lamp  and 
kill  him  afterwards. 

For  two  days  Aladdin  remained  in  the  dark,  cry- 
ing and  lamenting.  At  last  he  clasped  his  hands  in 
prayer,  and  in  so  doing  rubbed  the  ring,  which  the 
magician  had  forgotten  to  take  from  him.  Immed- 
iately an  enormous  and  frightful  genie  rose  out  of  the 
earth,  saying :  "  What  wouldst  thou  with  me  ?  I  am 
the  Slave  of  the  Ring,  and  will  obey  thee  in  all  things." 
Aladdin  fearlessly  replied :  "  Deliver  me  from  this 
place !  "  whereupon  the  earth  opened,  and  he  found 
himself  outside.  As  soon  as  his  eyes  could  bear  the 
light  he  went  home,  but  fainted  on  the  threshold. 
When  he  came  to  himself  he  told  his  mother  what  had 
passed,  and  showed  her  the  lamp  and  the  fruits  he 
had  gathered  in  the  garden,  which  were  in  reality  pre- 
cious stones.  He  then  asked  for  some  food.  "  Alas ! 
child,"  she  said,  "  I  have  nothing  in  the  house,  but  I 
have  spun  a  little  cotton  and  will  go  and  sell  it." 
Aladdin  bade  her  keep  her  cotton,  for  he  would  sell  the 
lamp  instead.     As  it  was  very  dirty  she  began  to  rub 


no  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

it,  that  it  might  fetch  a  higher  price.  Instantly  a 
hideous  genie  appeared,  and  asked  what  she  would 
have.  She  fainted  away,  but  Aladdin,  snatching  the 
lamp,  said  boldly:  "Fetch  me  something  to  eat!" 
The  genie  returned  with  a  silver  bowl,  twelve  silver 
plates  containing  rich  meats,  two  silver  cups,  and  two 
bottles  of  wine.  Aladdin's  mother,  when  she  came  to 
herself  said:  "Whence  comes  this  splendid  feast?" 
"  Ask  not,  but  eat,"  replied  Aladdin.  So  they  sat  at 
breakfast  till  it  was  dinner-time,  and  Aladdin  told  his 
mother  about  the  lamp.  She  begged  him  to  sell  it,  and 
have  nothing  to  do  with  devils.  "  No,"  said  Aladdin, 
"  since  chance  hath  made  us  aware  of  its  virtues,  we 
will  use  it,  and  the  ring  likewise,  which  I  shall  always 
wear  on  my  finger."  When  they  had  eaten  all  the 
genie  had  brought  Aladdin  sold  one  of  the  silver  plates, 
and  so  on  until  none  were  left.  He  then  had  recourse 
to  the  genie,  who  gave  him  another  set  of  plates,  and 
thus  they  lived  for  many  years. 

One  day  Aladdin  heard  an  order  from  the  Sultan 
proclaimed  that  every  one  was  to  stay  at  home  and 
close  his  shutters  while  the  Princess,  his  daughter,  went 
to  and  from  the  bath.  Aladdin  was  seized  by  a  de- 
sire to  see  her  face,  which  was  very  difficult,  as  she 
always  went  veiled.  He  hid  himself  behind  the  door 
of  the  bath,  and  peeped  through  a  chink.  The  Prin- 
cess lifted  her  veil  as  she  went  in,  and  looked  so  beau- 
tiful that  Aladdin  fell  in  love  with  her  at  first  sight. 
He  went  home  so  changed  that  his  mother  was  fright- 
ened. He  told  her  he  loved  the  Princess  so  deeply 
that  he  could  not  live  without  her,  and  meant  to  ask 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  ill 

her  in  marriage  of  her  father.  His  mother,  on  hear- 
ing this,  burst  out  laughing,  but  Aladdin  at  last  pre- 
vailed upon  her  to  go  before  the  Sultan  and  carry  his 
request.  She  fetched  a  napkin  and  laid  in  it  the  magic 
fruits  from  the  enchanted  garden,  which  sparkled  and 
shone  like  the  most  beautiful  jewels.     She  took  these 


with  her  to  please  the  Sultan,  and  set  out,  trusting  in 
the  lamp.  The  Grand  Vizier  and  the  lords  of  council 
had  just  gone  in  as  she  entered  the  hall  and  placed 
herself  in  front  of  the  Sultan.  He,  however,  took  no 
notice  of  her.  She  went  every  day  for  a  week,  and 
stood  in  the  same  place.  When  the  council  broke  up 
on  the  sixth  day  the  Sultan  said  to  his  Vizier:  "  I 
see  a  certain  woman  in  the  audience-chamber  every 


112  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

day  carrying  something  in  a  napkin.  Call  her  next 
time,  that  I  may  find  out  what  she  wants."  Next  day, 
at  a  sign  from  the  Vizier,  she  went  up  to  the  foot  of 
the  throne  and  remained  kneeling  till  the  Sultan  said 
to  her :  "  Rise,  good  woman,  and  tell  me  what  you 
want."  She  hesitated,  so  the  Sultan  sent  away  all  but 
the  Vizier,  and  bade  her  speak  freely,  promising  to 
forgive  her  beforehand  for  anything  she  might  say. 
She  then  told  him  of  her  son's  violent  love  for  the 
Princess.  "  I  prayed  him  to  forget  her,"  she  said, 
"  but  in  vain ;  he  threatened  to  do  some  desperate  deed 
if  I  refused  to  go  and  ask  your  Majesty  for  the  hand 
of  the  Princess.  Now  I  pray  you  to  forgive  not  me 
alone,  but  my  son  Aladdin."  The  Sultan  asked  her 
kindly  what  she  had  in  the  napkin,  whereupon  she  un- 
folded the  jewels  and  presented  them.  He  was  ehun- 
derstruck,  and  turning  to  the  Vizier  said :  "  What 
sayest  thou?  Ought  I  not  to  bestow  the  Princess  on 
one  who  values  her  at  such  a  price?"  The  Vizier, 
who  wanted  her  for  his  own  son,  begged  the  Sultan 
to  withhold  her  for  three  months,  in  the  course  of 
which  he  hoped  his  son  would  contrive  to  make  him  a 
richer  present.  The  Sultan  granted  this,  and  told 
Aladdin's  mother  that,  though  he  consented  to  the 
marriage,  she  must  not  appear  before  him  again  for 
three  months. 

Aladdin  waited  patiently  for  nearly  three  months, 
but  after  two  had  elapsed  his  mother,  going  into  the 
city  to  buy  oil,  found  every  one  rejoicing,  and  asked 
what  was  going  on.  "  Do  you  not  know,"  was  the 
answer,  "  that  the  son  of  the  Grand  Vizier  is  to  marry 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  113 

the  Sultan's  daughter  to-night?  "  Breathless,  she  ran 
and  told  Aladdin,  who  was  overwhelmed  at  first,  but 
presently  bethought  him  of  the  lamp.  He  rubbed  it, 
and  the  genie  appeared,  saying :  "  What  is  thy  will  ?  " 
Aladdin  replied :  "  The  Sultan,  as  thou  knowest,  has 
broken  his  promise  to  me,  and  the  Vizier's  son  is  to 
have  the  Princess.  My  command  is  that  to-night  you 
bring  hither  the  bride  and  bridegroom."  "  Master,  I 
obey,"  said  the  genie.  Aladdin  then  went  to  his  cham- 
ber, where,  sure  enough,  at  midnight  the  genie  trans- 
ported the  bed  containing  the  Vizier's  son  and  the 
Princess.  "  Take  this  new-married  man,"  he  said, 
"  and  put  him  outside  in  the  cold,  and  return  at  day- 
break." Whereupon  the  genie  took  the  Vizier's  son 
out  of  bed,  leaving  Aladdin  with  the  Princess.  "  Fear 
nothing,"  Aladdin  said  to  her;  "you  are  my  wife, 
promised  to  me  by  your  unjust  father,  and  no  harm 
shall  come  to  you."  The  Princess  was  too  frightened 
to  speak,  and  passed  the  most  miserable  night  of  her 
life,  while  Aladdin  lay  down  beside  her  and  slept 
soundly.  At  the  appointed  hour  the  genie  fetched  in 
the  shivering  bridegroom,  laid  him  in  his  place,  and 
transported  the  bed  back  to  the  palace. 

Presently  the  Sultan  came  to  wish  his  daughter 
good-morning.  The  unhappy  Vizier's  son  jumped  up 
and  hid  himself,  while  the  Princess  would  not  say  a 
word,  and  was  very  sorrowful.  The  Sultan  sent  her 
mother  to  her,  who  said :  "  How  comes  it,  child,  that 
you  will  not  speak  to  your  father?  What  has  hap- 
pened? "  The  Princess  sighed  deeply,  and  at  last  told 
her  mother  how,  during  the  night,  the  bed  had  been 


ii4  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

carried  into  some  strange  house,  and  what  had  passed 
there.  Her  mother  did  not  believe  her  in  the  least, 
but  bade  her  rise  and  consider  it  an  idle  dream. 

The  following  night  exactly  the  same  thing  hap- 
pened, and  next  morning,  on  the  Princess's  refusal  to 
speak,  the  Sultan  threatened  to  cut  off  her  head.  She 
then  confessed  all,  bidding  him  ask  the  Vizier's  son 
if  it  were  not  so.  The  Sultan  told  the  Vizier  to  ask 
his  son,  who  owned  the  truth,  adding  that,  dearly  as 
he  loved  the  Princess,  he  had  rather  die  than  go 
through  another  such  fearful  night,  and  wished  to  be 
separated  from  her.  His  wish  was  granted,  and  there 
was  an  end  of  feasting  and  rejoicing. 

When  the  three  months  were  over,  Aladdin  sent  his 
mother  to  remind  the  Sultan  of  his  promise.  She 
stood  in  the  same  place  as  before,  and  the  Sultan,  who 
had  forgotten  Aladdin,  at  once  remembered  him,  and 
sent  for  her.  On  seeing  her  poverty  the  Sultan  felt 
less  inclined  than  ever  to  keep  his  word,  and  asked 
his  Vizier's  advice,  who  counselled  him  to  set  so  high 
a  value  on  the  Princess  that  no  man  living  could  come 
up  to  it.  The  Sultan  then  turned  to  Aladdin's  mother, 
saying :  "  Good  woman,  a  sultan  must  remember  his 
promises,  and  I  will  remember  mine,  but  your  son 
must  first  send  me  forty  basins  of  gold  brimful  of 
jewels,  carried  by  forty  black  slaves,  led  by  as  many 
white  ones,  splendidly  dressed.  Tell  him  that  I  await 
his  answer."  The  mother  of  Aladdin  bowed  low  and 
went  home,  thinking  all  was  lost.  She  gave  Aladdin 
the  message,  adding :  "  He  may  wait  long  enough  for 
your  answer !  "     "  Not  so  long,  mother,  as  you  think," 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  115 

her  son  replied.  "  I  would  do  a  great  deal  more  than 
that  for  the  Princess."  He  summoned  the  genie,  and 
in  a  few  moments  the  eighty  slaves  arrived,  and  filled 
up  the  small  house  and  garden.  Aladdin  made  them 
set  out  to  the  palace,  two  and  two,  followed  by  his 
mother.  They  were  so  richly  dressed,  with  such  splen- 
did jewels  in  their  girdles,  that  every  one  crowded  to 
see  them  and  the  basins  of  gold  they  carried  on  their 
heads.  They  entered  the  palace,  and,  after  kneeling 
before  the  Sultan,  stood  in  a  half-circle  round  the 
throne  with  their  arms  crossed,  while  Aladdin's  mother 
presented  them  to  the  Sultan.  He  hesitated  no  longer, 
but  said :  "  Good  woman,  return  and  tell  your  son  that 
I  wait  for  him  with  open  arms."  She  lost  no  time  in 
telling  Aladdin,  bidding  him  make  haste.  But  Aladdin 
first  called  the  genie.  "  I  want  a  scented  bath,"  he 
said,  "  a  richly  embroidered  habit,  a  horse  surpassing 
the  Sultan's,  and  twenty  slaves  to  attend  me.  Be- 
sides this,  six  slaves,  beautifully  dressed,  to  wait  on 
my  mother ;  and  lastly,  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold  in 
ten  purses."  No  sooner  said  than  done.  Aladdin 
mounted  his  horse  and  passed  through  the  streets,  the 
slaves  strewing  gold  as  they  went.  Those  who  had 
played  with  him  in  his  childhood  knew  him  not,  he 
had  grown  so  handsome.  When  the  Sultan  saw  him 
he  came  down  from  his  throne,  embraced  him,  and 
led  him  into  a  hall  where  a  feast  was  spread,  intend- 
ing to  marry  him  to  the  Princess  that  very  day.  But 
Aladdin  refused,  saying,  "  I  must  build  a  palace  fit  for 
her,"  and  took  his  leave.  Once  home,  he  said  to  the 
genie :     "  Build  me  a  palace  of  the  finest  marble,  set 


u6 


ALADDIN  AND  THE 


with  jasper,  agate,  and  other  precious  stones.  In  the 
middle  you  shall  build  me  a  large  hall  with  a  dome, 
its  four  walls  of  massy  gold  and  silver,  each  side 
having  six  windows,  whose  lattices,  all  except  one 
which  is  to  be  left  unfinished,  must  be  set  with  dia- 
monds and  rubies.  There  must  be  stables  and  horses 
and  grooms  and  slaves ;  go  and  see  about  it !  " 


The  palace  was  finished  by  next  day,  and  the  genie 
carried  him  there  and  showed  him  all  his  orders  faith- 
fully carried  out,  even  to  the  laying  of  a  velvet  carpet 
from  Aladdin's  palace  to  the  Sultan's.  Aladdin's 
mother  then  dressed  herself  carefully,  and  walked  to 
the  palace  with  her  slaves,  while  he  followed  her  on 
horseback.  The  Sultan  sent  musicians  with  trumpets 
and  cymbals  to  meet  them,  so  that  the  air  resounded 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  117 

with  music  and  cheers.  She  was  taken  to  the  Princess, 
who  saluted  her  and  treated  her  with  great  honor.  At 
night  the  Princess  said  good-by  to  her  father,  and 
set  out  on  the  carpet  for  Aladdin's  palace,  with  his 
mother  at  her  side,  and  followed  by  the  hundred  slaves. 
She  was  charmed  at  the  sight  of  Aladdin,  who  ran  to 
receive  her.  "  Princess,"  he  said,  "  blame  your  beauty 
for  my  boldness  if  I  have  displeased  you."  She  told 
him  that,  having  seen  him,  she  willingly  obeyed  her 
father  in  this  matter.  After  the  wedding  had  taken 
place  Aladdin  led  her  into  the  hall,  where  a  feast  was 
spread,  and  she  supped  with  him,  after  which  they 
danced  till  midnight. 

Next  day  Aladdin  invited  the  Sultan  to  see  the 
palace.  On  entering  the  hall  with  the  f our-and-twenty 
windows,  with  their  rubies,  diamonds,  and  emeralds, 
he  cried :  "  It  is  a  world's  wonder !  There  is  only 
one  thing  that  surprises  me.  Was  it  by  accident  that 
one  window  was  left  unfinished?"  "No,  sir,  by  de- 
sign," returned  Aladdin.  "  I  wished  your  Majesty  to 
have  the  glory  of  finishing  this  palace."  The  Sultan 
was  pleased,  and  sent  for  the  best  jewellers  in  the  city. 
He  showed  them  the  unfinished  window,  and  bade 
them  fit  it  up  like  the  others.  "  Sir,"  replied  their 
spokesman,  "  we  cannot  find  jewels  enough."  The 
Sultan  had  his  own  fetched,  which  they  soon  used, 
but  to  no  purpose,  for  in  a  month's  time  the  work  was 
not  half  done.  Aladdin,  knowing  that  their  task  was 
in  vain,  bade  them  undo  their  work  and  carry  the 
jewels  back,  and  the  genie  finished  the  window  at  his 
command.     The  Sultan  was  surprised  to  receive  his 


n8  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

jewels  again,  and  visited  Aladdin,  who  showed  him 
the  window  finished.  The  Sultan  embraced  him,  the 
envious  Vizier  meanwhile  hinting  that  it  was  the  work 
of  enchantment. 

Aladdin  had  won  the  hearts  of  the  people  by  his 
gentle  bearing.  He  was  made  captain  of  the  Sultan's 
armies,  and  won  several  battles  for  him,  but  remained 
modest  and  courteous  as  before,  and  lived  thus  in 
peace  and  content  for  several  years. 

But  far  away  in  Africa  the  magician  remembered 
Aladdin,  and  by  his  magic  arts  discovered  that  Aladdin, 
instead  of  perishing  miserably  in  the  cave,  had  es- 
caped, and  had  married  a  princess,  with  whom  he  was 
living  in  great  honor  and  wealth.  He  knew  that  the 
poor  tailor's  son  could  only  have  accomplished  this  by 
means  of  the  lamp,  and  travelled  night  and  day  till 
he  reached  the  capital  of  China,  bent  on  Aladdin's 
ruin.  As  he  passed  through  the  town  he  heard  people 
talking  everywhere  about  a  marvellous  palace.  "  For- 
give my  ignorance,"  he  asked,  "  what  is  this  palace  you 
speak  of?"  "Have  you  not  heard  of  Prince  Alad- 
din's palace,"  was  the  reply,  "  the  greatest  wonder  of 
the  world?  I  will  direct  you  if  you  have  a  mind  to 
see  it."  The  magician  thanked  him  who  spoke,  and 
having  seen  the  palace  knew  that  it  had  been  raised 
by  the  Genie  of  the  Lamp,  and  became  half  mad  with 
rage.  He  determined  to  get  hold  of  the  lamp,  and 
again  plunge  Aladdin  into  the  deepest  poverty. 

Unluckily,  Aladdin  had  gone  a-hunting  for  eight 
days,  which  gave  the  magician  plenty  of  time.  He 
bought  a  dozen  copper  lamps,  put  them  into  a  basket, 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  119 

and  went  to  the  palace,  crying :  "  New  lamps  for 
old!"  followed  by  a  jeering  crowd.  The  Princess, 
sitting  in  the  hall  of  four-and-twenty  windows,  sent 
a  slave  to  find  out  what  the  noise  was  about,  who  came 
back  laughing,  so  that  the  Princess  scolded  her. 
"  Madam,"  replied  the  slave,  "  who  can  help  laughing 
to  see  an  old  fool  offering  to  exchange  fine  new  lamps 
for  old  ones?"  Another  slave,  hearing  this,  said: 
"  There  is  an  old  one  on  the  cornice  there  which  he 
can  have."  Now  this  was  the  magic  lamp,  which 
Aladdin  had  left  there,  as  he  could  not  take  it  out 
hunting  with  him.  The  Princess,  not  knowing  its 
value,  laughingly  bade  the  slave  take  it  and  make 
the  exchange.  She  went  and  said  to  the  magician: 
"  Give  me  a  new  lamp  for  this."  He  snatched  it  and 
bade  the  slave  take  her  choice,  amid  the  jeers  of  the 
crowd.  Little  he  cared,  but  left  off  crying  his  lamps, 
and  went  out  of  the  city  gates  to  a  lonely  place,  where 
he  remained  till  nightfall,  when  he  pulled  out  the  lamp 
and  rubbed  it.  The  genie  appeared,  and  at  the  magi- 
cian's command  carried  him,  together  with  the  palace 
and  the  Princess  in  it,  to  a  lonely  place  in  Africa. 

Next  morning  the  Sultan  looked  out  of  the  window 
towards  Aladdin's  palace  and  rubbed  his  eyes,  for  it 
was  gone.  He  sent  for  the  Vizier  and  asked  what  had 
become  of  the  palace.  The  Vizier  looked  out  too,  and 
was  lost  in  astonishment.  He  again  put  it  down  to  en- 
chantment, and  this  time  the  Sultan  believed  him,  and 
sent  thirty  men  on  horseback  to  fetch  Aladdin  in  chains. 
They  met  him  riding  home,  bound  him  and  forced  him 
to  go  with  them  on  foot.     The  people,  however,  who 


120  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

loved  him,  followed,  armed,  to  see  that  he  came  to  no 
harm.  He  was  carried  before  the  Sultan,  who  ordered 
the  executioner  to  cut  off  his  head.  The  executioner 
made  Aladdin  kneel  down,  bandaged  his  eyes,  and 
raised  his  scimitar  to  strike.  At  that  instant  the  Vizier, 
who  saw  that  the  crowd  had  forced  their  way  into  the 
courtyard  and  were  scaling  the  walls  to  rescue  Aladdin, 
called  to  the  executioner  to  stay  his  hand.  The  peo- 
ple, indeed,  looked  so  threatening  that  the  Sultan  gave 
way  and  ordered  Aladdin  to  be  unbound,  and  par- 
doned him  in  the  sight  of  the  crowd.  Aladdin  now 
begged  to  know  what  he  had  done.  "  False  wretch!  " 
said  the  Sultan,  "  come  hither,"  and  showed  him  from 
the  window  the  place  where  his  palace  had  stood. 
Aladdin  was  so  amazed  that  he  could  not  say  a  word. 
"Where  is  my  palace  and  my  daughter?"  demanded 
the  Sultan.  "  For  the  first  I  am  not  so  deeply  con- 
cerned, but  my  daughter  I  must  have,  and  you  must 
find  her  or  lose  your  head."  Aladdin  begged  for  forty 
days  in  which  to  find  her,  promising  if  he  failed  to 
return  and  suffer  death  at  the  Sultan's  pleasure.  His 
prayer  was  granted,  and  he  went  forth  sadly  from  the 
Sultan's  presence.  For  three  days  he  wandered  about 
like  a  madman,  asking  every  one  what  had  become  of 
his  palace,  but  they  only  laughed  and  pitied  him.  He 
came  to  the  banks  of  a  river,  and  knelt  down  to  say 
his  prayers  before  throwing  himself  in.  In  so  doing 
he  ru'bbed  the  magic  ring  he  still  wore.  The  genie  he 
had  seen  in  the  cave  appeared,  and  asked  his  will. 
"  Save  my  life,  genie,"  said  Aladdin,  "  and  bring  my 
palace  back."     "  That  is  not  in  my  power,"  said  the 


WONDERFUL  LAMP 


121 


genie ;  "  I  am  only  the  Slave  of  the  Ring;  you  must  ask 
him  of  the  lamp."  "  Even  so,"  said  Aladdin,  "  but 
thou  canst  take  me  to  the  palace,  and  set  me  down 
under  my  dear  wife's  window."  He  at  once  found 
himself  in  Africa,  under  the  window  of  the  Princess, 
and  fell  asleep  out  of  sheer  weariness. 

He  was  awakened 
by  the  singing  of  the 
birds,  and  his  heart 
was  lighter.  He  saw 
plainly  that  all 
his  misfortunes  were 
owing  to  the  loss  of 
the  lamp,  and  vainly 
wondered  who  had 
robbed  him  of  it. 

That  morning  the 
Princess  rose  earlier 
than  she  had  done 
since  she  had  been 
carried  into  Africa 
by  the  magician, 
whose  company  she 
was  forced  to  en- 
dure once  a  day. 
She,  however,  treated  him  so  harshly  that  he  dared 
not  live  there  altogether.  As  she  was  dressing, 
one  of  her  women  looked  out  and  saw  Aladdin.  The 
Princess  ran  and  opened  the  window,  and  at  the 
noise  she  made  Aladdin  looked  up.  She  called  to 
him  to  come  to  her,  and  great  was  the  joy  of  these 


122  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

lovers  at  seeing  each  other  again.  After  he  had  kissed 
her  Aladdin  said :  "  I  beg  of  you,  Princess,  in  God's 
name,  before  we  speak  of  anything  else,  for  your  own 
sake  and  mine,  tell  me  what  has  become  of  an  old 
lamp  I  left  on  the  cornice  in  the  hall  of  four-and- 
twenty  windows,  when  I  went  a-hunting."  "Alas!" 
she  said,  "  I  am  the  innocent  cause  of  our  sorrows," 
and  told  him  of  the  exchange  of  the  lamp.  "  Now  I 
know,"  cried  Aladdin,  "  that  we  have  to  thank  the 
African  magician  for  this!  Where  is  the  lamp?" 
"  He  carries  it  about  with  him,"  said  the  Princess. 
"  I  know,  for  he  pulled  it  out  of  his  breast  to  show  me. 
He  wishes  me  to  break  my  faith  with  you  and  marry 
him,  saying  that  you  were  beheaded  by  my  father's 
command.  He  is  forever  speaking  ill  of  you,  but  I 
only  reply  by  my  tears.  If  I  persist,  I  doubt  not  but 
he  will  use  violence."  Aladdin  comforted  her,  and 
left  her  for  a  while.  He  changed  clothes  with  the  first 
person  he  met  in  the  town,  and  having  bought  a  cer- 
tain powder  returned  to  the  Princess,  who  let  him  in 
by  a  little  side  door.  "  Put  on  your  most  beautiful 
dress,"  he  said  to  her,  "  and  receive  the  magician  with 
smiles,  leading  him  to  believe  that  you  have  forgotten 
me.  Invite  him  to  sup  with  you,  and  say  you  wish 
to  taste  the  wine  of  his  country.  He  will  go  for  some 
and  while  he  is  gone  I  will  tell  you  what  to  do."  She 
listened  carefully  to  Aladdin  and  when  he  left  her  ar- 
rayed herself  gaily  for  the  first  time  since  she  left 
China.  She  put  on  a  girdle  and  head-dress  of  dia- 
monds, and,  seeing  in  a  glass  that  she  was  more  beau- 
tiful than  ever,  received  the  magician,  saying,  to  his 


WONDERFUL  LAMP  123 

great  amazement :  "I  have  made  up  my  mind  that 
Aladdin  is  dead,  and  that  all  my  tears  will  not  bring 
him  back  to  me,  so  I  am  resolved  to  mourn  no  more, 
and  have  therefore  invited  you  to  sup  with  me;  but 
I  am  tired  of  the  wines  of  China,  and  would  fain  taste 
those  of  Africa."  The  magician  flew  to  his  cellar, 
and  the  Princess  put  the  powder  Aladdin  had  given 
her  in  her  cup.  When  he  returned  she  asked  him  to 
drink  her  health  in  the  wine  of  Africa,  handing  him 
her  cup  in  exchange  for  his,  as  a  sign  she  was  recon- 
ciled to  him.  Before  drinking  the  magician  made  her 
a  speech  in  praise  of  her  beauty,  but  the  Princess  cut 
him  short,  saying :  "  Let  us  drink  first,  and  you  shall 
say  what  you  will  afterwards."  She  set  her  cup  to 
her  lips  and  kept  it  there,  while  the  magician  drained 
his  to  the  dregs  and  fell  back  lifeless.  The  Princess 
then  opened  the  door  to  Aladdin,  and  flung  her  arms 
round  his  neck;  but  Aladdin  put  her  away,  bidding 
her  leave  him,  as  he  had  more  to  do.  He  then  went 
to  the  dead  magician,  took  the  lamp  out  of  his  vest, 
and  bade  the  genie  carry  the  palace  and  all  in  it  back 
to  China.  This  was  done,  and  the  Princess  in  her 
chamber  only  felt  two  little  shocks,  and  little  thought 
she  was  at  home  again. 

The  Sultan,  who  was  sitting  in  his  closet,  mourning 
for  his  lost  daughter,  happened  to  look  up,  and  rubbed 
his  eyes,  for  there  stood  the  palace  as  before!  He 
hastened  thither,  and  Aladdin  received  him  in  the  hall 
of  the  four-and-twenty  windows,  with  the  Princess  at 
his  side.  Aladdin  told  him  what  had  happened,  and 
showed  him  the  dead  body  of  the  magician,  that  he 
VOL.  1 — 10 


124  ALADDIN  AND  THE 

might  believe.  A  ten  days'  feast  was  proclaimed,  and 
it  seemed  as  if  Aladdin  might  now  live  the  rest  of  his 
life  in  peace ;  but  it  was  not  to  be. 

The  African  magician  had  a  younger  brother,  who 
was,  if  possible,  more  wicked  and  more  cunning  than 
himself.  He  travelled  to  China  to  avenge  his  brother's 
death,  and  went  to  visit  a  pious  woman  called  Fatima, 
thinking  she  might  be  of  use  to  him.  He  entered  her 
cell  and  clapped  a  dagger  to  her  breast,  telling  her 
to  rise  and  do  his  bidding  on  pain  of  death.  He 
changed  clothes  with  her,  colored  his  face  like  hers, 
put  on  her  veil,  and  murdered  her,  that  she  might  tell 
no  tales.  Then  he  went  towards  the  palace  of  Aladdin, 
and  all  the  people,  thinking  he  was  the  holy  woman, 
gathered  round  him,  kissing  his  hands  and  begging 
his  blessing.  When  he  got  to  the  palace  there  was 
such  a  noise  going  on  round  him  that  the  Princess  bade 
her  slave  look  out  of  the  window  and  ask  what  was 
the  matter.  The  slave  said  it  was  the  holy  woman, 
curing  people  by  her  touch  of  their  ailments,  where- 
upon the  Princess,  who  had  long  desired  to  see  Fa- 
tima, sent  for  her.  On  coming  to  the  Princess  the 
magician  offered  up  a  prayer  for  her  health  and  pros- 
perity. When  he  had  done  the  Princess  made  him 
sit  by  her,  and  begged  him  to  stay  with  her  always. 
The  false  Fatima,  who  wished  for  nothing  better,  con- 
sented, but  kept  his  veil  down  for  fear  of  discovery. 
The  Princess  showed  him  the  hall,  and  asked  him  what 
he  thought  of  it.  "  It  is  truly  beautiful,"  said  the  false 
Fatima.  "  In  my  mind  it  wants  but  one  thing." 
"  And  what  is  that?  "  said  the  Princess.     "  If  only  a 


WONDERFUL  LAMP 


125 


roc's  egg,"  replied  he,  "  were  hung  up  from  the  middle 
of  this  dome,  it  would  be  the  wonder  of  the  world." 

After  this  the  Princess  could  think  of  nothing  but 
the  roc's  egg,  and  when  Aladdin  returned  from  hunt- 
ing he  found  her  in  a  very  ill  humor.     He  begged  to 


know  what  was  amiss,  and  she  told  him  that  all  her 
pleasure  in  the  hall  was  spoilt  for  the  want  of  a  roc's 
egg  hanging  from  the  dome.  "If  that  is  all,"  replied 
Aladdin,  "  you  shall  soon  be  happy."  He  left  her 
and  rubbed  the  lamp,  and  when  the  genie  appeared 
commanded  him  to  bring  a  roc's  egg.  The  genie  gave 
such  a  loud  and  terrible  shriek  that  the  hall  shook. 


126  WONDERFUL  LAMP 

"  Wretch !  "  he  cried,  "  is  it  not  enough  that  I  have 
done  everything  for  you,  but  you  must  command  me 
to  bring  my  master  and  hang  him  up  in  the  midst  of 
this  dome?  You  and  your  wife  and  your  palace  de- 
serve to  be  burnt  to  ashes,  but  that  this  request  does 
not  come  from  you,  but  from  the  brother  of  the  Afri- 
can magician,  whom  you  destroyed.  He  is  now  in 
your  palace  disguised  as  the  holy  woman  —  whom  he 
murdered.  He  it  was  who  put  that  wish  into  your 
wife's  head.  Take  care  of  yourself,  for  he  means  to 
kill  you."     So  saying,  the  genie  disappeared. 

Aladdin  went  back  to  the  Princess,  saying  his  head 
ached,  and  requesting  that  the  holy  Fatima  should  be 
fetched  to  lay  her  hands  on  it.  But  when  the  magician 
came  near,  Aladdin,  seizing  his  dagger,  pierced  him 
to  the  heart.  "  What  have  you  done?  "  cried  the  Prin- 
cess. "  You  have  killed  the  holy  woman!"  "Not. 
so,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  but  a  wicked  magician,"  and 
told  her  of  how  she  had  been  deceived. 

After  this  Aladdin  and  his  wife  lived  in  peace.  He 
succeeded  the  Sultan  when  he  died,  and  reigned  for 
many  years,  leaving  behind  him  a  long  line  of  kings.1 

1  Arabian  Nights. 


THE  TALE  OF  A  YOUTH  WHO  SET  OUT  TO 
LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS 

A  FATHER  had  two  sons,  of  whom  the  eldest 
was  clever  and  bright,  and  always  knew  what 
he  was  about;  but  the  youngest  was  stupid,  and 
couldn't  learn  or  understand  anything.  So  much  so 
that  those  who  saw  him  exclaimed :  "  What  a  burden 
he'll  be  to  his  father !  "  Now  when  there  was  any- 
thing to  be  done,  the  eldest  had  always  to  do  it;  but 
if  something  was  required  late  or  in  the  night-time, 
and  the  way  led  through  the  churchyard  or  some  such 
ghostly  place,  he  always  replied :  "  Oh !  no,  father : 
nothing  will  induce  me  to  go  there,  it  makes  me  shud- 
der !  "  for  he  was  afraid.  Or,  when  they  sat  of  an 
evening  round  the  fire  telling  stories  which  made  one's 
flesh  creep,  the  listeners  sometimes  said :  "  Oh !  it 
makes  one  shudder,"  the  youngest  sat  in  a 
corner,  heard  the  exclamation,  and  could  not  un- 
derstand what  it  meant.  "  They  are  always  saying 
it  makes  one  shudder!  it  makes  one  shudder!  Noth- 
ing makes  me  shudder.  It's  probably  an  art  quite  be- 
yond me." 

Now  it  happened  that  his  father  said  to  him  one 
day :  "  Hearken,  you  there  in  the  corner ;  you  are 
growing  big  and  strong,  and  you  must  learn  to  earn 
your  own  bread.     Look  at  your  brother,  what  pains  he 

127 


128      THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

takes;  but  all  the  money  I've  spent  on  your  education 
is  thrown  away."  "  My  dear  father,"  he  replied,  "  I 
will  gladly  learn  —  in  fact,  if  it  were  possible  I  should 
like  to  learn  to  shudder;  I  don't  understand  that  a  bit 
yet."  The  eldest  laughed  when  he  heard  this,  and 
thought  to  himself :  "  Good  heavens !  what  a  ninny 
my  brother  is!  he'll  never  come  to  any  good:  as  the 
twig  is  bent,  so  is  the  tree  inclined."  The  father 
sighed,  and  answered  him :  "  You'll  soon  learn  to 
shudder;  but  that  won't  help  you  to  make  a  living." 

Shortly  after  this,  when  the  sexton  came  to  pay 
them  a  visit,  the  father  broke  out  to  him,  and  told  him 
what  a  bad  hand  his  youngest  son  was  at  everything : 
he  knew  nothing  and  learnt  nothing.  "  Only  think ! 
when  I  asked  him  how  he  purposed  gaining  a  liveli- 
hood, he  actually  asked  to  be  taught  to  shudder." 
"If  that's  all  he  wants,"  said  the  sexton,  "  I  can  teach 
him  that ;  just  you  send  him  to  me,  I'll  soon  polish  him 
up."  The  father  was  quite  pleased  with  the  proposal, 
because  he  thought :  "  It  will  be  a  good  discipline  for 
the  youth."  And  so  the  sexton  took  him  into  his 
house,  and  his  duty  was  to  toll  the  bell.  After  a  few 
days  he  woke  him  at  midnight,  and  bade  him  rise  up 
and  climb  into  the  tower  and  toll.  "  Now,  my  friend, 
I'll  teach  you  to  shudder,"  thought  he.  He  stole  forth 
secretly  in  front,  and  when  the  youth  was  up  above, 
and  had  turned  round  to  grasp  the  bell-rope,  he  saw, 
standing  opposite  the  hole  of  the  belfry,  a  white  figure. 
"  Who's  there  ?  "  he  called  out,  but  the  figure  gave 
no  answer,  and  neither  stirred  nor  moved.  "  An- 
swer," cried  the  youth,  "  or  begone ;  you  have  no  busi- 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS      129 

ness  here  at  this  hour  of  the  night."  But  the  sexton 
remained  motionless,  so  that  the  youth  might  think  it 
was  a  ghost.  The  youth  called  out  the  second  time : 
"  What  do  you  want  here?     Speak  if  you  are  an  hon- 


est fellow,  or  I'll  knock  you  down  the  stairs."  The 
sexton  thought :  "  He  can't  mean  that  in  earnest,"  so 
gave  forth  no  sound,  and  stood  as  though  he  were 
made  of  stone.  Then  the  youth  shouted  out  to  him 
the  third  time,  and  as  that  too  had  no  effect  he  made 
a  dash  at  the  spectre  and  knocked  it  down  the  stairs, 
so  that  it  fell  about  ten  steps  and  remained  lying  in 


i3o     THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

a  corner.  Thereupon  he  tolled  the  bell,  went  home 
to  bed  without  saying  a  word,  and  fell  asleep.  The 
sexton's  wife  waited  a  long  time  for  her  husband  but 
he  never  appeared.  At  last  she  became  anxious,  and 
woke  the  youth,  and  asked :  "  Don't  you  know  where 
my  husband  is?  He  went  up  to  the  tower  in  front  of 
you."  "  No,"  answered  the  youth ;  "  but  some  one 
stood  on  the  stairs  up  there  just  opposite  the  trap-door 
in  the  belfry,  and  because  he  wouldn't  answer  me,  or 
go  away,  I  took  him  for  a  rogue  and  knocked  him 
down.  You'd  better  go  and  see  if  it  was  he;  I  should 
be  much  distressed  if  it  were."  The  wife  ran  and 
found  her  husband,  who  was  lying  groaning  in  a  cor- 
ner, with  his  leg  broken. 

She  carried  him  down,  and  then  hurried  with  loud 
protestations  to  the  youth's  father.  "  Your  son  has 
been  the  cause  of  a  pretty  misfortune,"  she  cried;  "  he 
threw  my  husband  downstairs  so  that  he  broke  his  leg. 
Take  the  good-for-nothing  wretch  out  of  our  house." 
The  father  was  horrified,  hurried  to  the  youth,  and 
gave  him  a  scolding. 

"  What  unholy  pranks  are  these  ?  The  evil  one 
must  have  put  them  into  your  head."  "  Father,"  he 
replied,  "  only  listen  to  me ;  I  am  quite  guiltless.  He 
stood  there  in  the  night,  like  one  who  meant  harm.  I 
didn't  know  who  it  was,  and  warned  him  three  times 
to  speak  or  to  begone."  "Oh!  "  groaned  the  father, 
"  you'll  bring  me  nothing  but  misfortune ;  get  out  of 
my  sight,  I  won't  have  anything  more  to  do  with 
you."  "  Yes,  father,  willingly ;  only  wait  till  day- 
light, then  I'll  set  out  and  learn  to  shudder,  and  in  that 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS      131 

way  I  shall  be  master  of  an  art  which  will  gain  me  a 
living."  "  Learn  what  you  will,"  said  the  father, 
"  it's  all  one  to  me.  Here  are  fifty  dollars  for  you, 
set  forth  into  the  wide  world  with  them;  but  see  and 
tell  no  one  where  you  come  from  or  who  your  father 
is,  for  I  am  ashamed  of  you."  "  Yes,  father,  what- 
ever you  wish;  and  if  that's  all  you  ask,  I  can  easily 
keep  it  in  mind." 

When  day  broke  the  youth  put  the  fifty  dollars  into 
his  pocket,  set  out  on  the  hard  high  road,  and  kept 
muttering  to  himself:  "If  I  could  only  shudder!  if 
I  could  only  shudder !  "  Just  as  this  moment  a  man 
came  by  who  heard  the  youth  speaking  to  himself,  and 
when  they  had  gone  on  a  bit  and  were  in  sight  of  the 
gallows  the  man  said  to  him :  "  Look !  there  is  the 
tree  where  seven  people  have  been  hanged,  and  are 
now  learning  to  fly;  sit  down  under  it  and  wait  till 
nightfall,  and  then  you'll  pretty  soon  learn  to  shudder." 
"  If  that's  all  I  have  to  do,"  answered  the  youth,  "  it's 
easily  done;  but  if  I  learn  to  shudder  so  quickly,  then 
you  shall  have  my  fifty  dollars.  Just  come  back  to 
me  to-morrow  morning  early."  Then  the  youth  went 
to  the  gallows-tree  and  sat  down  underneath  it,  and 
waited  for  the  evening;  and  because  he  felt  cold  he 
lit  himself  a  fire.  But  at  midnight  it  got  so  chill  that 
in  spite  of  the  fire  he  couldn't  keep  warm.  And  as  the 
wind  blew  the  corpses  one  against  the  other,  tossing 
them  to  and  fro,  he  thought  to  himself :  "If  you  are 
perishing  down  here  by  the  fire,  how  those  poor  things 
up  there  must  be  shaking  and  shivering!"  And  be- 
cause he  had  a  tender  heart,  he  put  up  a  ladder  which 


132      THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

he  climbed,  unhooked  one  body  after  the  other,  and 
took  down  all  the  seven.  Then  he  stirred  the  fire, 
blew  it  up,  and  placed  them  all  round  in  a  circle,  that 
they  might  warm  themselves.  But  they  sat  there  and 
did  not  move,  and  the  fire  caught  their  clothes.  Then 
he  spoke:  "  Take  care,  or  I'll  hang  you  up  again." 
But  the  dead  men  did  not  hear,  and  let  their  rags  go 
on  burning.  Then  he  got  angry,  and  said :  "If  you 
aren't  careful  yourselves,  then  I  can't  help  you,  and  I 
don't  mean  to  burn  you";  and  he  hung  them  up 
again  in  a  row.  Then  he  sat  down  at  his  fire  and 
fell  asleep.  On  the  following  morning  the  man  came 
to  him,  and,  wishing  to  get  his  fifty  dollars,  said: 
"  Now  you  know  what  it  is  to  shudder."  "  No,"  he 
answered,  "  how  should  I  ?  Those  fellows  up  there 
never  opened  their  mouths,  and  were  so  stupid  that 
they  let  those  few  old  tatters  they  have  on  their  bodies 
burn."  Then  the  man  saw  he  wouldn't  get  his  fifty 
dollars  that  day,  and  went  off,  saying :  "  Well,  I'm 
blessed  if  I  ever  met  such  a  person  in  my  life  before." 
The  youth  too  went  on  his  way,  and  began  to  mur- 
mur to  himself:  "  Oh!  if  I  could  only  shudder!  if  I 
could  only  shudder !  "  A  carrier  who  was  walking 
behind  him  heard  these  words,  and  asked  him :  "  Who 
are  you?"  "I  don't  know,"  said  the  youth. 
"Where  do  you  hail  from?"  "I  don't  know." 
"Who's  your  father?"  "I  mayn't  say."  "What 
are  you  constantly  muttering  to  yourself?  "  "  Oh!  " 
said  the  youth,  "  I  would  give  worlds  to  shudder,  but 
no  one  can  teach  me."     "  Stuff  and  nonsense!  "  spoke 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS      133 

the  carrier ;  "  come  along  with  me,  and  I'll  soon  put 
that  right."  The  youth  went  with  the  carrier,  and 
in  the  evening  they  reached  an  inn,  where  they  were 
to  spend  the  night.  Then,  just  as  he  was  entering 
the  room,  he  said  again,  quite  aloud :  "  Oh !  if  I  could 
only  shudder!  if  I  could  only  shudder!"  The  land- 
lord, who  heard  this,  laughed  and  said :  "If  that's 
what  you're  sighing  for,  you  shall  be  given  every  op- 
portunity here."  "  Oh !  hold  your  tongue !  "  said  the 
landlord's  wife;  "  so  many  people  have  paid  for  their 
curiosity  with  their  lives,  it  were  a  thousand  pities 
if  those  beautiful  eyes  were  never  again  to  behold  day- 
light." But  the  youth  said:  "No  matter  how  diffi- 
cult, I  insist  on  learning  it;  why,  that's  what  I've  set 
out  to  do."  He  left  the  landlord  no  peace  till  he  told 
him  that  in  the  neighborhood  stood  a  haunted  castle, 
where  one  could  easily  learn  to  shudder  if  one  only 
kept  watch  in  it  for  three  nights.  The  King  had 
promised  the  man  who  dared  to  do  this  thing  his 
daughter  as  wife,  and  she  was  the  most  beautiful 
maiden  under  the  sun.  There  was  also  much  treasure 
hid  in  the  castle,  guarded  by  evil  spirits,  which  would 
then  be  free,  and  was  sufficient  to  make  a  poor  man 
more  than  rich.  Many  had  already  gone  in,  but  so 
far  none  had  ever  come  out  again.  So  the  youth  went 
to  the  King  and  spoke :  "  If  I  were  allowed,  I  should 
much  like  to  watch  for  three  nights  in  the  castle."  The 
King  looked  at  him,  and  because  he  pleased  him  he 
said :  "  You  can  ask  for  three  things,  none  of  them 
living,  and  those  you  may  take  with  you  into  the  cas- 


134     THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

tie."  Then  he  answered :  "  Well,  I  shall  beg  for  a 
fire,  a  turning  lathe,  and  a  carving  bench  with  the  knife 
attached." 

On  the  following  day  the  King  had  everything  put 
into  the  castle;  and  when  night  drew  on  the  youth 
took  up  his  position  there,  lit  a  bright  fire  in  one  of 
the  rooms,  placed  the  carving  bench  with  the  knife 
close  to  it,  and  sat  himself  down  on  the  turning  lathe. 
"Oh!  if  I  could  only  shudder!"  he  said;  "  but  I 
shan't  learn  it  here  either."  Towards  midnight  he 
wanted  to  make  up  the  fire,  and  as  he  was  blowing  up 
a  blaze  he  heard  a  shriek  from  a  corner.  "  Ou,  miou! 
how  cold  we  are!"  "You  fools!"  he  cried;  "why 
do  you  scream?  If  you  are  cold,  come  and  sit  at  the 
fire  and  warm  yourselves."  And  as  he  spoke  two  huge 
black  cats  sprang  fiercely  forwards  and  sat  down,  one 
on  each  side  of  him,  and  gazed  wildly  at  him  with  their 
fiery  eyes.  After  a  time,  when  they  had  warmed  them- 
selves, they  said :  "  Friend,  shall  we  play  a  little  game 
of  cards?"  "Why  not?"  he  replied;  "but  first  let 
me  see  your  paws."  Then  they  stretched  out  their 
claws.  "  Ha !  "  said  he ;  "  what  long  nails  you've  got ! 
Wait  a  minute:  I  must  first  cut  them  off."  There- 
upon he  seized  them  by  the  scruff  of  their  necks,  lifted 
them  on  to  the  carving  bench,  and  screwed  down  their 
paws  firmly.  "  After  watching  you  narrowly,"  said 
he,  "  I  no  longer  feel  any  desire  to  play  cards  with 
you  " ;  and  with  these  words  he  struck  them  dead  and 
threw  them  out  into  the  water.  But  when  he  had  thus 
sent  the  two  of  them  to  their  final  rest,  and  was  again 
about  to  sit  down  at  the  fire,  out  of  every  nook  and 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS      135 

corner  came  forth  black  cats  and  black  dogs  with  fiery 
chains  in  such  swarms  that  he  couldn't  possibly  get 
away  from  them.  They  yelled  in  the  most  ghastly 
manner,  jumped  upon  his  fire,  scattered  it  all,  and  tried 
to  put  it  out.  He  looked  on  quietly  for  a  time,  but 
when  it  got  beyond  a  joke  he  seized  his  carving-knife 


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and  called  out :  "  Be  off,  you  rabble  rout !  "  and  let 
fly  at  them.  Some  of  them  fled  away,  and  the  others 
he  struck  dead  and  threw  them,  out  into  the  pond 
below.  When  he  returned  he  blew  up  the  sparks  of 
the  fire  once  more,  and  warmed  himself.  And  as  he 
sat  thus  his  eyes  refused  to  keep  open  any  longer,  and 
a  desire  to  sleep  stole  over  him.  Then  he  looked 
around  him  and  beheld  in  the  corner  a  large  bed. 


136     THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

"  The  very  thing,"  he  said,  and  laid  himself  down  in 
it.  But  when  he  wished  to  close  his  eyes  the  bed  began 
to  move  by  itself,  and  ran  all  round  the  castle.  "  Cap- 
ital," he  said,  "  only  a  little  quicker."  Then  the  bed 
sped  on  as  if  drawn  by  six  horses,  over  thresholds  and 
stairs,  up  this  way  and  down  that.  All  of  a  sudden  — 
crash,  crash !  with  a  bound  it  turned  over,  upside  down, 
and  lay  like  a  mountain  on  the  top  of  him.  But  he 
tossed  the  blankets  and  pillows  in  the  air,  emerged  from 
underneath,  and  said :  "  Now  any  one  who  has  the 
fancy  for  it  may  go  a  drive,"  lay  down  at  his  fire,  and 
slept  till  daylight.  In  the  morning  the  King  came, 
and  when  he  beheld  him  lying  on  the  ground  he  im- 
agined the  ghosts  had  been  too  much  for  him,  and 
that  he  was  dead.  Then  he  said :  "  What  a  pity !  and 
such  a  fine  fellow  as  he  was."  The  youth  heard  this, 
got  up,  and  said :  "  It's  not  come  to  that  yet."  Then 
the  King  was  astonished,  but  very  glad,  and  asked 
how  it  had  fared  with  him.  "  First-rate,"  he  an- 
swered ;  "  and  now  I've  survived  the  one  night,  I  shall 
get  through  the  other  two  also."  The  landlord,  when 
he  went  to  him,  opened  his  eyes  wide,  and  said: 
"  Well,  I  never  thought  to  see  you  alive  again.  Have 
you  learnt  now  what  shuddering  is  ?  "  "  No,"  he  re- 
plied, "  it's  quite  hopeless;  if  some  one  could  only  tell 
me  how  to !  " 

The  second  night  he  went  up  again  to  the  old  castle, 
sat  down  at  the  fire,  and  began  his  old  refrain :  "  If 
I  could  only  shudder !  "  As  midnight  approached,  a 
noise  and  din  broke  out,  at  first  gentle,  but  gradually 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS     137 

increasing;  then  all  was  quiet  for  a  minute,  and  at 
length,  with  a  loud  scream,  half  of  a  man  dropped 
down  the  chimney  and  fell  before  him.  "  Hi,  up 
there !  "  shouted  he ;  "  there's  another  half  wanted 
down  here,  that's  not  enough  " ;  then  the  din  com- 
menced once  more,  there  was  a  shrieking  and  a  yell- 
ing, and  then  the  other  half  fell  down.  "  Wait  a 
bit,"  he  said ;  "  I'll  stir  up  the  fire  for  you."  When 
he  had  done  this  and  again  looked  round,  the  two 
pieces  had  united,  and  a  horrible-looking  man  sat  on 
his  seat.  "  Come,"  said  the  youth,  "  I  didn't  bargain 
for  that,  the  seat  is  mine."  The  man  tried  to  shove 
him  away,  but  the  youth  wouldn't  allow  it  for  a  mo- 
ment, and,  pushing  him  off  by  force,  sat  down  in  his 
place  again.  Then  more  men  dropped  down,  one  after 
the  other,  who,  fetching  nine  skeleton  legs  and  two 
skulls,  put  them  up  and  played  ninepins  with  them. 
The  youth  thought  he  would  like  to  play  too,  and  said : 
"Look  here;  do  you  mind  my  joining  the  game?" 
"  No,  not  if  you  have  money."  "  I've  money  enough," 
he  replied,  "  but  your  balls  aren't  very  round."  Then 
he  took  the  skulls,  placed  them  on  his  lathe,  and  turned 
them  till  they  were  round.  "  Now  they'll  roll  along 
better,"  said  he,  "  and  houp-la!  now  the  fun  begins." 
He  played  with  them  and  lost  some  of  his  money, 
but  when  twelve  struck  everything  vanished  before  his 
eyes.  He  lay  down  and  slept  peacefully.  The  next 
morning  the  King  came,  anxious  for  news.  "  How 
have  you  got  on  this  time?"  he  asked.  "I  played 
ninepins,"    he   answered,    "  and   lost   a    few    pence." 


138     THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

"Didn't  you  shudder  then?"  "No  such  luck,"  said 
he;  "  I  made  myself  merry.  Oh !  if  I  only  knew  what 
it  was  to  shudder !  " 

On  the  third  night  he  sat  down  again  on  his  bench, 
and  said,  in  the  most  desponding  way:  "If  I  could 
only  shudder !  "  When  it  got  late,  six  big  men  came  in 
carrying  a  coffin.  Then  he  cried :  "  Ha !  ha !  that's 
most  likely  my  little  cousin  who  only  died  a  few  days 
ago  " ;  and  beckoning  with  his  finger  he  called  out : 
"  Come,  my  small  cousin,  come."  They  placed  the 
coffin  on  the  ground,  and  he  approached  it  and  took  off 
the  cover.  In  it  lay  a  dead  man.  He  felt  his  face, 
and  it  was  cold  as  ice.  "  Wait,"  he  said,  "  I'll  heat 
you  up  a  bit,"  went  to  the  fire,  warmed  his  hand,  and 
laid  it  on  the  man's  face,  but  the  dead  remained  cold. 
Then  he  lifted  him  out,  sat  down  at  the  fire,  laid  him 
on  his  knee,  and  rubbed  his  arms  that  the  blood  should 
circulate  again.  When  that  too  had  no  effect  it  oc- 
curred to  him  that  if  two  people  lay  together  in  bed 
they  warmed  each  other;  so  he  put  him  into  the  bed, 
covered  him  up,  and  lay  down  beside  him;  after  a 
time  the  corpse  became  warm  and  began  to  move. 
Then  the  youth  said :  "  Now,  my  little  cousin,  what 
would  have  happened  if  I  hadn't  warmed  you?  "  But 
the  dead  man  rose  up  and  cried  out :  "  Now  I  will 
strangle  you."  "What!"  said  he,  "is  that  all  the 
thanks  I  get  ?  You  shall  be  put  straight  back  into  your 
coffin,"  lifted  him  up,  threw  him  in,  and  closed  the  lid. 
Then  the  six  men  came  and  carried  him  out  again. 
"  I  simply  can't  shudder,"  he  said,  "  and  it's  clear  I 
shan't  learn  it  in  a  lifetime  here." 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS      139 

Then  a  man  entered,  of  more  than  ordinary  size 
and  of  a  very  fearful  appearance ;  but  he  was  old  and 
had  a  white  beard.  "  Oh !  you  miserable  creature,  now 
you  will  soon  know  what  it  is  to  shudder,"  he  cried, 
"  for  you  must  die."  "  Not  so  quickly,"  answered  the 
youth.  "  If  I  am  to  die,  you  must  catch  me  first." 
"  I  shall  soon  lay  hold  of  you,"  spoke  the  monster. 
"  Gently,  gently ;  don't  boast  too  much,  I'm  as  strong 
as  you,  and  stronger  too."  "  We'll  soon  see,"  said  the 
old  man;  "  if  you  are  stronger  than  I,  then  I'll  let  you 
off;  come,  let's  have  a  try."  Then  he  led  him  through 
some  dark  passages  to  a  forge,  and  grasping  an  axe 
he  drove  one  of  the  anvils  with  a  blow  into  the  earth. 
"  I  can  do  better  than  that,"  cried  the  youth,  and  went 
to  the  other  anvil.  The  old  man  drew  near  him  in 
order  to  watch  closely,  and  his  white  beard  hung  right 
down.  Then  the  youth  seized  the  axe,  cleft  the  anvil 
open,  and  jammed  in  the  old  man's  beard.  "  Now  I 
have  you,"  said  the  youth ;  "  this  time  it's  your  turn  to 
die."  Then  he  seized  an  iron  rod  and  belabored  the 
old  man  till  he,  whimpering,  begged  him  to  leave  off, 
and  he  would  give  him  great  riches.  The  youth  drew 
out  the  axe  and  let  him  go.  The  old  man  led  him  back 
to  the  castle  and  showed  him  in  a  cellar  three  chests  of 
gold.  "  One  of  these,"  he  said,  "  belongs  to  the  poor, 
one  to  the  King,  and  the  third  is  yours."  At  that  mo- 
ment twelve  struck,  and  the  spirit  vanished,  leaving 
the  youth  alone  in  the  dark.  "  I'll  surely  be  able  to 
find  a  way  out,"  said  he,  and  groping  about  he  at  length 
found  his  way  back  to  the  room,  and  fell  asleep  at 
his  fire.     The  next  morning  the  King  came,  and  said  : 

VOL.  I  —  II 


140     THE  TALE  OF  THE  YOUTH  WHO  SET 

"  Well,  now  you've  surely  learnt  to  shudder  ?  "  "  No," 
he  answered;  "  what  can  it  be?  My  dead  cousin  was 
there,  and  an  old  bearded  man  came,  who  showed  me 
heaps  of  money  down  below  there,  but  what  shudder- 
ing is  no  one  has  told  me."  Then  the  King  spoke: 
"  You  have  freed  the  castle  from  its  curse,  and  you 


shall  marry  my  daughter."  "  That's  all  charming," 
he  said ;  "  but  I  still  don't  know  what  it  is  to  shudder." 
Then  the  gold  was  brought  up,  and  the  wedding  was 
celebrated,  but  the  young  King,  though  he  loved  his 
wife  dearly,  and  though  he  was  very  happy,  still  kept 
on  saying:  "  If  I  could  only  shudder!  if  I  could  only 
shudder!  "  At  last  he  reduced  her  to  despair.  Then 
her  maid  said :  "  I'll  help  you ;  we'll  soon  make  him 


OUT  TO  LEARN  WHAT  FEAR  WAS      141 

shudder."  So  she  went  out  to  the  stream  that  flowed 
through  the  garden,  and  had  a  pail  full  of  little  gud- 
geon brought  to  her.  At  night,  when  the  young  King 
was  asleep,  his  wife  had  to  pull  the  clothes  off  him, 
and  pour  the  pail  full  of  little  gudgeon  over  him,  so 
that  the  little  fish  swam  all  about  him.  Then  he  awoke 
and  cried  out :  "  Oh !  how  I  shudder,  how  I  shudder, 
dear  wife!     Yes,  now  I  know  what  shuddering  is."  * 

1  Grimm. 


r 


RUMPELSTILTZKIN 

THERE  was  once  upon  a  time  a  poor  miller  who 
had  a  very  beautiful  daughter.  Now  it  hap- 
pened one  day  that  he  had  an  audience  with  the  King, 
and  in  order  to  appear  a  person  of  some  importance  he 
told  him  that  he  had  a  daughter  who  could  spin  straw 
into  gold.  "  Now  that's  a  talent  worth  having,"  said 
the  King  to  the  miller;  "  if  your  daughter  is  as  clever 
as  you  say,  bring  her  to  my  palace  to-morrow,  and 
I'll  put  her  to  the  test."  When  the  girl  was  brought 
to  him  he  led  her  into  a  room  full  of  straw,  gave  her  a 
spinning-wheel  and  spindle,  and  said :  "  Now  set  to 
work  and  spin  all  night  till  early  dawn,  and  if  by  that 
time  you  haven't  spun  the  straw  into  gold  you  shall 
die."  Then  he  closed  the  door  behind  him  and  left 
her  alone  inside. 

So  the  poor  miller's  daughter  sat  down,  and  didn't 
know  what  in  the  world  she  was  to  do.  She  hadn't 
the  least  idea  of  how  to  spin  straw  into  gold,  and  be- 
came at  last  so  miserable  that  she  began  to  cry.  Sud- 
denly the  door  opened,  and  in  stepped  a  tiny  little  man 
and  said :  "  Good-evening,  Miss  Miller-maid ;  why  are 
you  crying  so  bitterly?  "  "  Oh!  "  answered  the  girl, 
"  I  have  to  spin  straw  into  gold,  and  haven't  a  notion 
how  it's  done."  "  What  will  you  give  me  if  I  spin  it 
for  you?"  asked  the  manikin.  "  My  necklace,"  re- 
plied the  girl.     The  little  man  took  the  necklace,  sat 

142 


RUMPELSTILTZKIN 


143 


himself  down  at  the  wheel,  and  whir,  whir,  whir,  the 
wheel  went  round  three  times,  and  the  bobbin  was 


PS'- to 

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Ml 

v    '"''I'  ■'■'■  V- 

Si 

m 

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T&MllM^- 

im9 

^  J 

4m"''  W  JlMm  SSffWJW 

(j?*  7  fit  -^ 

IB 

81 

Mt^HBvJiHHmI 

'/',/,  ■,  ijiiiii ' 

full.  Then  he  put  on  another,  and  whir,  whir,  whir, 
the  wheel  went  round  three  times,  and  the  second  too 
was  full ;  and  so  it  went  on  till  the  morning,  when  all 


144  RUMPELSTILTZKIN 

the  straw  was  spun  away,  and  all  the  bobbins  were  full 
of  gold.     As  soon  as  the  sun  rose  the  King  came,  and 
when  he  perceived  the  gold  he  was  astonished  and  de- 
lighted, but  his  heart  only  lusted  more  than  ever  after 
the  precious  metal.     He  had  the  miller's  daughter  put 
into  another  room  full  of  straw,  much  bigger  than  the 
first,  and  bade  her,  if  she  valued  her  life,  spin  it  all 
into   gold   before   the   following  morning.     The   girl 
didn't  know  what  to  do,  and  began  to  cry;  then  the 
door  opened  as  before,  and  the  tiny  little  man  appeared 
and  said :  "  What'll  you  give  me  if  I  spin  the  straw 
into  gold  for  you?"     "The  ring  from  my  finger," 
answered  the  girl.     The  manikin  took  the  ring,  and 
whir !  round  went  the  spinning-wheel  again,  and  when 
morning  broke  he  had  spun  all  the  straw  into  glittering 
gold.     The  King  was  pleased  beyond  measure  at  the 
sight,  but  his  greed  for  gold  was  still  not  satisfied,  and 
he  had  the  miller's  daughter  brought  into  a  yet  bigger 
room  full  of  straw,  and  said :  "  You  must  spin  all  this 
away  in  the  night;  but  if  you  succeed  this  time  you 
shall    become    my    wife."     "  She's    only    a    miller's 
daughter,  it's  true,"  he  thought;  "but  I  couldn't  find 
a  richer  wife  if  I  were  to  search  the  whole  world 
rer."     When  the  girl  was  alone  the  little  man  ap- 
peared for  the  third  time,  and  said :  "What'll  you  give 
me  if  I  spin  the  straw  for  you  once  again?  "     "  I've 
nothing  more  to  give,"   answered  the  girl.     "  Then 
promise  me  when  you  are  Queen  to  give  me  your  first 
child."     "  Who   knows   what   mayn't   happen   before 
that?  "  thought  the  miller's  daughter;  and  besides,  she 
tsaw  no  other  way  out  of  it,  so  she  promised  the  man- 


RUMPELSTILTZKIN  145 

ikin  what  he  demanded,  and  he  set  to  work  once  more 
and  spun  the  straw  into  gold.  When  the  King  came 
in  the  morning,  and  found  everything  as  he  had  de- 
sired, he  straightway  made  her  his  wife,  and  the 
miller's  daughter  became  a  queen. 

When  a  year  had  passed  a  beautiful  son  was  born 
to  her,  and  she  thought  no  more  of  the  little  man,  till 
all  of  a  sudden  one  day  he  stepped  into  her  room  and 
said :  "  Now  give  me  what  you  promised."  The 
Queen  was  in  a  great  state,  and  offered  the  little  man 
all  the  riches  in  her  kingdom  if  he  would  only  leave 
her  the  child.  But  the  manikin  said :  "  No,  a  living 
creature  is  dearer  to  me  than  all  the  treasures  in  the 
world."  Then  the  Queen  began  to  cry  and  sob  so 
bitterly  that  the  little  man  was  sorry  for  her,  and  said : 
"  I'll  give  you  three  days  to  guess  my  name,  and  if 
you  find  it  out  in  that  time  you  may  keep  your  child." 

Then  the  Queen  pondered  the  whole  night  over  all 
the  names  she  had  ever  heard,  and  sent  a  messenger  to 
scour  the  land,  and  to  pick  up  far  and  near  any  names 
he  should  come  across.  When  the  little  man  arrived 
on  the  following  day  she  began  with  Kasper,  Melchior, 
Belshazzar,  and  all  the  other  names  she  knew,  in  a 
string,  but  at  each  one  the  manikin  called  out :  "  That's 
not  my  name."  The  next  day  she  sent  to  inquire  the 
names  of  all  the  people  in  the  neighborhood,  and  had  a 
long  list  of  the  most  uncommon  and  extraordinary 
for  the  little  man  when  he  made  his  appearance.  "  Is 
your  name,  perhaps,  Sheepshanks,  Cruickshanks, 
Spindleshanks  ? "  but  he  always  replied:  "That's  not 
my  name."     On  the  third  day  the  messenger  returned 


146  RUMPELSTILTZKIN 

and  announced :  "  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any  new 
names,  but  as  I  came  upon  a  high  hill  round  the  corner 
of  the  wood,  where  the  foxes  and  hares  bid  each  other 
good  night,  I  saw  a  little  house,  and  in  front  of  the 
house  burned  a  fire,  and  round  the  fire  sprang  the  most 
grotesque  little  man,  hopping  on  one  leg  and  crying : 

To-morrow  I  brew,  to-day  I  bake, 
And  then  the  child  away  I'll  take; 
For  little  deems  my  royal  dame 
That  Rumpelstiltzkin  is  my  name! 

You  may  imagine  the  Queen's  delight  at  hearing  the 
name,  and  when  the  little  man  stepped  in  shortly  after- 
wards and  asked :  "  Now,  my  lady  Queen,  what's  my 
name?"  she  asked  first:  "Is  your  name  Conrad?" 
"No,"  "Is  your  name  Harry?"  "No."  "Is 
your  name,  perhaps,  Rumpelstiltzkin?"  "Some  de- 
mon has  told  you  that,  some  demon  has  told  you  that," 
screamed  the  little  man,  and  in  his  rage  drove  his  right 
foot  so  far  into  the  ground  that  it  sank  in  up  to  his 
waist;  then  in  a  passion  he  seized  the  left  foot  with 
both  hands  and  tore  himself  in  two.1 

/  1  Grimm. 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  in  a  very  far-off  country,  there 
lived  a  merchant  who  had  been  so  fortunate  in 
all  his  undertakings  that  he  was  enormously  rich.  As 
he  had,  however,  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  he  found 
that  his  money  was  not  too  much  to  let  them  all  have 
everything  they  fancied,  as  they  were  accustomed  to  do. 

But  one  day  a  most  unexpected  misfortune  befell 
them.  Their  house  caught  fire  and  was  speedily  burnt 
to  the  ground,  with  all  the  splendid  furniture,  the 
books,  pictures,  gold,  silver,  and  precious  goods  it  con- 
tained; and  this  was  only  the  beginning  of  their 
troubles.  Their  father,  who  had  until  this  moment 
prospered  in  all  ways,  suddenly  lost  every  ship  he  had 
upon  the  sea,  either  by  dint  of  pirates,  shipwreck,  or 
fire.  Then  he  heard  that  his  clerks  in  distant  countries, 
whom  he  trusted  entirely,  had  proved  unfaithful;  and 
at  last  from  great  wealth  he  fell  into  the  direst  poverty. 

All  that  he  had  left  was  a  little  house  in  a  desolate 
place  at  least  a  hundred  leagues  from  the  town  in 
which  he  had  lived,  and  to  this  he  was  forced  to  retreat 
with  his  children,  who  were  in  despair  at  the  idea  of 
leading  such  a  different  life.  Indeed,  the  daughters 
at  first  hoped  that  their  friends,  who  had  been  so 
numerous  while  they  were  rich,  would  insist  on  their 
staying  in  their  houses  now  they  no  longer  possessed 

i47 


148  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

one.  But  they  soon  found  that  they  were  left  alone, 
and  that  their  former  friends  even  attributed  their 
misfortunes  to  their  own  extravagance,  and  showed  no 
intention  of  offering  them  any  help.  So  nothing  was 
left  for  them  but  to  take  their  departure  to  the  cottage, 
which  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  dark  forest,  and  seemed 
to  be  the  most  dismal  place  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 
As  they  were  too  poor  to  have  any  servants,  the  girls 
had  to  work  hard,  like  peasants,  and  the  sons,  for  their 
part,  cultivated  the  fields  to  earn  their  living.  Roughly 
clothed,  and  living  in  the  simplest  way,  the  girls  re- 
gretted unceasingly  the  luxuries  and  amusements  of 
their  former  life;  only  the  youngest  tried  to  be  brave 
and  cheerful.  She  had  been  as  sad  as  any  one  when 
misfortune  first  overtook  her  father,  but,  soon  recover- 
ing her  natural  gaiety,  she  set  to  work  to  make  the  best 
of  things,  to  amuse  her  father  and  brothers  as  well  as 
she  could,  and  to  try  to  persuade  her  sisters  to  join 
her  in  dancing  and  singing.  But  they  would  do  noth- 
ing of  the  sort,  and,  because  she  was  not  as  doleful  as 
themselves,  they  declared  that  this  miserable  life  was 
all  she  was  fit  for.  But  she  was  really  far  prettier  and 
cleverer  than  they  were;  indeed,  she  was  so  lovely  that 
she  was  always  called  Beauty.  After  two  years,  when 
they  were  all  beginning  to  get  used  to  their  new  life, 
something  happened  to  disturb  their  tranquillity. 
Their  father  received  the  news  that  one  of  his  ships, 
which  he  had  believed  to  be  lost,  had  come  safely  into 
port  with  a  rich  cargo.  All  the  sons  and  daughters  at 
once  thought  that  their  poverty  was  at  an  end,  and 
wanted  to  set  out  directly   for  the  town;  but  their 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  149 

father,  who  was  more  prudent,  begged  them  to  wait 
a  little,  and,  though  it  was  harvest-time,  and  he  could 
ill  be  spared,  determined  to  go  himself  first,  to  make 
inquires.  Only  the  youngest  daughter  had  any  doubt 
but  that  they  would  soon  again  be  as  rich  as  they  were 
before,  or  at  least  rich  enough  to  live  comfortably  in 
some  town  where  they  would  find  amusement  and  gay 
companions  once  more.  So  they  all  loaded  their 
father  with  commissions  for  jewels  and  dresses  which 
it  would  have  taken  a  fortune  to  buy;  only  Beauty, 
feeling  sure  that  it  was  of  no  use,  did  not  ask  for 
anything.  Her  father,  noticing  her  silence,  said : 
"  And  what  shall  I  bring  for  you,  Beauty?  " 

"  The  only  thing  I  wish  for  is  to  see  you  come  home 
safely,"  she  answered. 

But  this  reply  vexed  her  sisters,  who  fancied  she 
was  blaming  them  for  having  asked  for  such  costly 
things.  Her  father,  however,  was  pleased,  but  as  he 
thought  that  at  her  age  she  certainly  ought  to  like 
pretty  presents,  he  told  her  to  choose  something. 

"  Well,  dear  father,"  she  said,  "  as  you  insist  upon 
it,  I  beg  that  you  will  bring  me  a  rose.  I  have  not 
seen  one  since  we  came  here,  and  I  love  them  so  much." 

So  the  merchant  set  out  and  reached  the  town  as 
quickly  as  possible,  but  only  to  find  that  his  former 
companions,  believing  him  to  be  dead,  had  divided 
between  them  the  goods  which  the  ship  had  brought; 
and  after  six  months  of  trouble  and  expense  he  found 
himself  as  poor  as  when  he  started,  having  been  able 
to  recover  only  just  enough  to  pay  the  cost  of  his 
journey.     To  make  matters  worse,  he  was  obliged  to 


150  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

leave  the  town  in  the  most  terrible  weather,  so  that 
by  the  time  he  was  within  a  few  leagues  of  his  home  he 
was  almost  exhausted  with  cold  and  fatigue.  Though 
he  knew  it  would  take  some  hours  to  get  through  the 


forest,  he  was  so  anxious  to  be  at  his  journey's  end 
that  he  resolved  to  go  on;  but  night  overtook  him, 
and  the  deep  snow  and  bitter  frost  made  it  impossible 
for  his  horse  to  carry  him  any  further.  Not  a  house 
was  to  be  seen;  the  only  shelter  he  could  get  was  the 
hollow  trunk  of  a  great  tree,  and  there  he  crouched 
all  the  night,  which  seemed  to  him  the  longest  he  had 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  151 

ever  known.  In  spite  of  his  weariness  the  howling  of 
the  wolves  kept  him  awake,  and  even  when  at  last  the 
day  broke  he  was  not  much  better  off,  for  the  falling 
snow  had  covered  up  every  path,  and  he  did  not  know 
which  way  to  turn. 

At  length  he  made  out  some  sort  of  track,  and 
though  at  the  beginning  it  was  so  rough  and  slippery 
that  he  fell  down  more  than  once,  it  presently  became 
easier,  and  led  him  into  an  avenue  of  trees  which  ended 
in  a  splendid  castle.  It  seemed  to  the  merchant  very 
strange  that  no  snow  had  fallen  in  the  avenue,  which 
was  entirely  composed  of  orange  trees,  covered  with 
flowers  and  fruit.  When  he  reached  the  first  court  of 
the  castle  he  saw  before  him  a  flight  of  agate  steps, 
and  went  up  them,  and  passed  through  several  splen- 
didly furnished  rooms.  The  pleasant  warmth  of  the 
air  revived  him,  and  he  felt  very  hungry;  but  there 
seemed  to  be  nobody  in  all  this  vast  and  splendid  palace 
whom  he  could  ask  to  give  him  something  to  eat. 
Deep  silence  reigned  everywhere,  and  at  last,  tired  of 
roaming  through  empty  rooms  and  galleries,  he  stopped 
in  a  room  smaller  than  the  rest,  where  a  clear  fire  was 
burning  and  a  couch  was  drawn  up  cosily  close  to  it. 
Thinking  that  this  must  be  prepared  for  some  one  who 
was  expected,  he  sat  down  to  wait  till  he  should  come, 
and  very  soon  fell  into  a  sweet  sleep. 

When  his  extreme  hunger  wakened  him  after  several 
hours,  he  was  still  alone ;  but  a  little  table,  upon  which 
was  a  good  dinner,  had  been  drawn  up  close  to  him, 
and,  as  he  had  eaten  nothing  for  twenty-four  hours,  he 
lost  no  time  in  beginning  his  meal,  hoping  that  he  might 


152  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

soon  have  an  opportunity  of  thanking  his  considerate 
entertainer,  whoever  it  might  be.  But  no  one  ap- 
peared, and  even  after  another  long  sleep,  from  which 
he  awoke  completely  refreshed,  there  was  no  sign  of 
anybody,  though  a  fresh  meal  of  dainty  cakes  and 
fruit  was  prepared  upon  the  little  table  at  his  elbow. 
Being  naturally  timid,  the  silence  began  to  terrify  him, 
and  he  resolved  to  search  once  more  through  all  the 
rooms ;  but  it  was  of  no  use.  Not  even  a  servant  was 
to  be  seen;  there  was  no  sign  of  life  in  the  palace! 
He  began  to  wonder  what  he  should  do,  and  to  amuse 
himself  by  pretending  that  all  the  treasures  he  saw 
were  his  own,  and  considering  how  he  would  divide 
them  among  his  children.  Then  he  went  down  into 
the  garden,  and  though  it  was  winter  everywhere  else, 
here  the  sun  shone,  and  the  birds  sang,  and  the  flowers 
bloomed,  and  the  air  was  soft  and  sweet.  The  mer- 
chant, in  ecstasies  with  all  he  saw  and  heard,  said  to 
himself : 

"  All  this  must  be  meant  for  me.  I  will  go  this 
minute  and  bring  my  children  to  share  all  these 
delights." 

In  spite  of  being  so  cold  and  weary  when  he  reached 
the  castle,  he  had  taken  his  horse  to  the  stable  and  fed 
it.  Now  he  thought  he  would  saddle  it  for  his  home- 
ward journey,  and  he  turned  down  the  path  which  led 
to  the  stable.  This  path  had  a  hedge  of  roses  on  each 
side  of  it,  and  the  merchant  thought  he  had  never  seen 
or  smelt  such  exquisite  flowers.  They  reminded  him 
of  his  promise  to  Beauty,  and  he  stopped  and  had  just 
gathered  one  to  take  to  her  when  he  was  startled  by  a 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 


153 


strange  noise  behind  him.  Turning  round,  he  saw  a 
frightful  Beast,  which  seemed  to  be  very  angry  and 
said,  in  a  terrible  voice : 


"  Who  told  you  that  you  might  gather  my  roses  ? 
Was  it  not  enough  that  I  allowed  you  to  be  in  my 
palace  and  was  kind  to  you?  This  is  the  way  you 
show  your  gratitude,  by  stealing  my  flowers!  But 
your  insolence  shall  not  go  unpunished."  The  mer- 
chant, terrified  by  these  furious  words,  dropped  the 


154  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

fatal  rose,  and,  throwing  himself  on  his  knees,  cried: 
"  Pardon  me,  noble  sir.  I  am  truly  grateful  to  you  for 
your  hospitality,  which  was  so  magnificent  that  I  could 
not  imagine  that  you  would  be  offended  by  my  taking 
such  a  little  thing  as  a  rose."  But  the  Beast's  anger 
was  not  lessened  by  this  speech. 

"  You  are  very  ready  with  excuses  and  flattery," 
he  cried;  "  but  that  will  not  save  you  from  the  death 
you  deserve." 

"Alas!"  thought  the  merchant,  "if  my  daughter 
Beauty  could  only  know  what  danger  her  rose  has 
brought  me  into !  " 

And  in  despair  he  began  to  tell  the  Beast  all  his 
misfortunes,  and  the  reason  of  his  journey,  not  for- 
getting to  mention  Beauty's  request. 

"  A  king's  ransom  would  hardly  have  procured  all 
that  my  other  daughters  asked,"  he  said;  "but  I 
thought  that  I  might  at  least  take  Beauty  her  rose. 
I  beg  you  to  forgive  me,  for  you  see  I  meant  no  harm." 

The  Beast  considered  for  a  moment,  and  then  he 
said,  in  a  less  furious  tone : 

"  I  will  forgive  you  on  one  condition  —  that  is,  that 
you  will  give  me  one  of  your  daughters." 

"  Ah!  "  cried  the  merchant,  "  if  I  were  cruel  enough 
to  buy  my  own  life  at  the  expense  of  one  of  my 
children's,  what  excuse  could  I  invent  to  bring  her 
here?" 

"  No  excuse  would  be  necessary,"  answered  the 
Beast.  "If  she  comes  at  all  she  must  come  willingly. 
On  no  other  condition  will  I  have  her.  See  if  any  one 
of  them  is  courageous  enough,   and  loves  you  well 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  155 

enough  to  come  and  save  your  life.  You  seem  to  be 
an  honest  man,  so  I  will  trust  you  to  go  home.  I  give 
you  a  month  to  see  if  either  of  your  daughters  will 
come  back  with  you  and  stay  here,  to  let  you  go  free. 
If  neither  of  them  is  willing,  you  must  come  alone, 
after  bidding  them  good-by  forever,  for  then  you 
will  belong  to  me.  And  do  not  imagine  that  you 
can  hide  from  me,  for  if  you  fail  to  keep  your  word 
I  will  come  and  fetch  you !  "  added  the  Beast  grimly. 

The  merchant  accepted  this  proposal,  though  he  did 
not  really  think  any  of  his  daughters  would  be  per- 
suaded to  come.  He  promised  to  return  at  the  time 
appointed,  and  then,  anxious  to  escape  from  the 
presence  of  the  Beast,  he  asked  permission  to  set  off 
at  once.  But  the  Beast  answered  that  he  could  not  go 
until  the  next  day. 

"  Then  you  will  find  a  horse  ready  for  you,"  he 
said.  "  Now  go  and  eat  your  supper,  and  await  my 
orders." 

The  poor  merchant,  more  dead  than  alive,  went  back 
to  his  room],  where  the  most  delicious  supper  was 
already  served  on  the  little  table  which  was  drawn  up 
before  a  blazing  fire.  But  he  was  too  terrified  to  eat, 
and  only  tasted  a  few  of  the  dishes,  for  fear  the  Beast 
should  be  angry  if  he  did  not  obey  his  orders.  When 
he  had  finished  he  heard  a  great  noise  in  the  next 
room,  which  he  knew  meant  that  the  Beast  was  coming. 
As  he  could  do  nothing  to  escape  his  visit,  the  only 
thing  that  remained  was  to  seem  as  little  afraid  as 
possible;  so  when  the  Beast  appeared  and  asked 
roughly  if  he  had  supped  well,  the  merchant  answered 

VOL.  i  — 12 


156  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

humbly  that  he  had,  thanks  to  his  host's  kindness. 
Then  the  Beast  warned  him  to  remember  their  agree- 
ment, and  to  prepare  his  daughter  exactly  for  what  she 
had  to  expect. 

"  Do  not  get  up  to-morrow,"  he  added,  "  until  you 
see  the  sun  and  hear  a  golden  bell  ring.  Then  you 
will  find  your  breakfast  waiting  for  you  here,  and  the 
horse  you  are  to  ride  will  be  ready  in  the  courtyard. 
He  will  also  bring  you  back  again  when  you  come  with 
your  daughter  a  month  hence.  Farewell.  Take  a 
rose  to  Beauty,  and  remember  your  promise !  " 

The  merchant  was  only  too  glad  when  the  Beast 
went  away,  and  though  he  could  not  sleep  for  sadness, 
he  lay  down  until  the  sun  rose.  Then,  after  a  hasty 
breakfast,  he  went  to  gather  Beauty's  rose,  and 
mounted  his  horse,  which  carried  him  off  so  swiftly 
that  in  an  instant  he  had  lost  sight  of  the  palace,  and  he 
was  still  wrapped  in  gloomy  thoughts  when  it  stopped 
before  the  door  of  the  cottage. 

His  sons  and  daughters,  who  had  been  very  uneasy 
at  his  long  absence,  rushed  to  meet  him,  eager  to  know 
the  result  of  his  journey,  which,  seeing  him  mounted 
upon  a  splendid  horse  and  wrapped  in  a  rich  mantle, 
they  supposed  to  be  favorable.  But  he  hid  the  truth 
from  them  at  first,  only  saying  sadly  to  Beauty  as  he 
gave  her  the  rose : 

"  Here  is  what  you  asked  me  to  bring  you ;  you  little 
know  what  it  has  cost." 

But  this  excited  their  curiosity  so  greatly  that 
presently  he  told  them  his  adventures  from  beginning 
to  end,  and  then  they  were  all  very  unhappy.     The 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  157 

girls  lamented  loudly  over  their  lost  hopes,  and  the 
sons  declared  that  their  father  should  not  return  to  this 
terrible  castle,  and  began  to  make  plans  for  killing  the 
Beast  if  it  should  come  to  fetch  him.  But  he  re- 
minded them  that  he  had  promised  to  go  back.  Then 
the  girls  were  very  angry  with  Beauty,  and  said  it 
was  all  her  fault,  and  that  if  she  had  asked  for  some- 
thing sensible  this  would  never  have  happened,  and 
complained  bitterly  that  they  should  have  to  suffer  for 
her  folly. 

Poor  Beauty,  much  distressed,  said  to  them : 
"  I  have  indeed  caused  this  misfortune,  but  I  assure 
you  I  did  it  innocently.  Who  could  have  guessed  that 
to  ask  for  a  rose  in  the  middle  of  summer  would  cause 
so  much  misery?  But  as  I  did  the  mischief  it  is  only 
just  that  I  should  suffer  for  it.  I  will  therefore  go 
back  with  my  father  to  keep  his  promise." 

At  first  nobody  would  hear  of  this  arrangement,  and 
her  father  and  brothers,  who  loved  her  dearly,  de- 
clared that  nothing  should  make  them  let  her  go;  but 
Beauty  was  firm.  As  the  time  drew  near  she  divided 
all  her  little  possessions  between  her  sisters,  and  said 
good-by  to  everything  she  loved,  and  when  the  fatal 
day  came  she  encouraged  and  cheered  her  father  as 
they  mounted  together  the  horse  which  had  brought 
him  back.  It  seemed  to  fly  rather  than  gallop,  but 
so  smoothly  that  Beauty  was  not  frightened;  indeed, 
she  would  have  enjoyed  the  journey  if  she  had  not 
feared  what  might  happen  to  her  at  the  end  of  it. 
Her  father  still  tried  to  persuade  her  to  go  back,  but 
in  vain.     While  they  were  talking  the  night  fell,  and 


158  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

then,  to  their  great  surprise,  wonderful  colored  lights 
began  to  shine  in  all  directions,  and  splendid  fire- 
works blazed  out  before  them ;  all  the  forest  was  illumi- 
nated by  them,  and  even  felt  pleasantly  warm,  though 
it  had  been  bitterly  cold  before.  This  lasted  until 
"they  reached  the  avenue  of  orange  trees,  where  were 
statues  holding  flaming  torches,  and  when  they  got 
nearer  to  the  palace  they  saw  that  it  was  illuminated 
from  the  roof  to  the  ground,  and  music  sounded  softly 
from  the  courtyard.  "  The  Beast  must  be  very 
hungry,"  said  Beauty,  trying  to  laugh,  "  if  he  makes 
all  this  rejoicing  over  the  arrival  of  his  prey." 

But,  in  spite  of  her  anxiety,  she  could  not  help  ad- 
miring all  the  wonderful  things  she  saw. 

The  horse  stopped  at  tjie  foot  of  the  flight  of  steps 
leading  to  the  terrace,  and  when  they  had  dismounted 
her  father  led  her  to  the  little  room  he  had  been  in  be- 
fore, where  they  found  a  splendid  fire  burning,  and 
the  table  daintily  spread  with  a  delicious  supper. 

The  merchant  knew  that  this  was  meant  for  them, 
and  Beauty,  who  was  rather  less  frightened  now  that 
she  had  passed  through  so  many  rooms  and  seen  noth- 
ing of  the  Beast,  was  quite  willing  to  begin,  for  her 
long  ride  had  made  her  very  hungry.  But  they  had 
hardly  finished  their  meal  when  the  noise  of  the  Beast's 
footsteps  was  heard  approaching,  and  Beauty  clung 
to  her  father  in  terror,  which  became  all  the  greater 
when  she  saw  how  frightened  he  was.  But  when  the 
Beast  really  appeared,  though  she  trembled  at  the  sight 
of  him,  she  made  a  great  effort  to  hide  her  horror,  and 
saluted  him  respectfully. 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  159 

This  evidently  pleased  the  Beast.  After  looking 
at  her  he  said,  in  a  tone  that  might  have  struck  terror 
into  the  boldest  heart,  though  he  did  not  seem  to  be 
angry: 

"  Good-evening,  old  man.     Good-evening,  Beauty." 

The  merchant  was  too  terrified  to  reply,  but  Beauty 
answered  sweetly : 
■  "  Good-evening,  Beast." 

"  Have  you  come  willingly?"  asked  the  Beast. 
"  Will  you  be  content  to  stay  here  when  your  father 
goes  away?  " 

Beauty  answered  bravely  that  she  was  quite  prepared 
to  stay. 

"  I  am  pleased  with  you,"  said  the  Beast.  "  As  you 
have  come  of  your  own  accord,  you  may  stay.  As 
for  you,  old  man,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  merchant, 
"  at  sunrise  to-morrow  you  will  take  your  departure. 
When  the  bell  rings  get  up  quickly  and  eat  your  break- 
fast, and  you  will  find  the  same  horse  waiting  to  take 
you  home;  but  remember  that  you  must  never  expect 
to  see  my  palace  again." 

Then  turning  to  Beauty,  he  said : 

"  Take  your  father  into  the  next  room,  and  help  him 
to  choose  everything  you  think  your  brothers  and 
sisters  would  like  to  have.  You  will  find  two  travel- 
ling-trunks there;  fill  them  as  full  as  you  can.  It  is 
only  just  that  you  should  send  them  something  very 
precious  as  a  remembrance  of  yourself." 

Then  he  went  away,  after  saying,  "  Good-by, 
Beauty;  good-by,  old  man";  and  though  Beauty  was 
beginning  to  think  with  great  dismay  of  her  father's 


160  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

departure,  she  was  afraid  to  disobey  the  Beast's  orders ; 
and  they  went  into  the  next  room,  which  had  shelves 
and  cupboards  all  round  it.  They  were  greatly  sur- 
prised at  the  riches  it  contained.  There  were  splendid 
dresses  fit  for  a  queen,  with  all  the  ornaments  that 
were  to  be  worn  with  them ;  and  when  Beauty  opened 
the  cupboards  she  was  quite  dazzled  by  the  gorgeous 
jewels  that  lay  in  heaps  upon  every  shelf.  After 
choosing  a  vast  quantity,  which  she  divided  between 
her  sisters  —  for  she  had  made  a  heap  of  the  wonder- 
ful dresses  for  each  of  them  —  she  opened  the  last 
chest,  which  was  full  of  gold. 

"  I  think,  father,"  she  said,  "  that,  as  the  gold  will 
be  more  useful  to  you,  we  had  better  take  out  the  other 
things  again,  and  fill  the  trunks  with  it."  So  they  did 
this;  but  the  more  they  put  in,  the  more  room  there 
seemed  to  be,  and  at  last  they  put  back  all  the  jewels 
and  dresses  they  had  taken  out,  and  Beauty  even  added 
as  many  more  of  the  jewels  as  she  could  carry  at  once ; 
and  then  the  trunks  were  not  too  full,  but  they  were  so 
heavy  that  an  elephant  could  not  have  carried  them ! 

"The  Beast  was  mocking  us,"  cried  the  merchant; 
"  he  must  have  pretended  to  give  us  all  these  things, 
knowing  that  I  could  not  carry  them  away." 

"  Let  us  wait  and  see,"  answered  Beauty.  "  I  can- 
not believe  that  he  meant  to  deceive  us.  All  we  can 
do  it  to  fasten  them  up  and  leave  them  ready." 

So  they  did  this  and  returned  to  the  little  room, 
where,  to  their  astonishment,  they  found  breakfast 
ready.  The  merchant  ate  his  with  a  good  appetite,  as 
the  Beast's  generosity  made  him  believe  that  he  might 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  161 

perhaps  venture  to  come  back  soon  and  see  Beauty. 
But  she  felt  sure  that  her  father  was  leaving  her  for- 
ever, so  she  was  very  sad  when  the  bell  rang  sharply 
for  the  second  time,  and  warned  them  that  the  time  was 
come  for  them  to  part.  They  went  down  into  the 
courtyard,  where  two  horses  were  waiting,  one  loaded 
with  the  two  trunks,  the  other  for  him  to  ride.  They 
were  pawing  the  ground  in  their  impatience  to  start, 
and  the  merchant  was  forced  to  bid  Beauty  a  hasty 
farewell;  and  as  soon  as  he  was  mounted  he  went  off 
at  such  a  pace  that  she  lost  sight  of  him  in  an  instant. 
Then  Beauty  began  to  cry,  and  wandered  sadly  back 
to  her  own  room.  But  she  soon  found  that  she  was 
very  sleepy,  and  as  she  had  nothing  better  to  do  she 
lay  down  and  instantly  fell  asleep.  And  then  she 
dreamed  that  she  was  walking  by  a  brook  bordered 
with  trees,  and  lamenting  her  sad  fate,  when  a  young 
prince,  handsomer  than  any  one  she  had  ever  seen,  and 
with  a  voice  that  went  straight  to  her  heart,  came  and 
said  to  her,  "  Ah,  Beauty!  you  are  not  so  unfortunate 
as  you  suppose.  Here  you  will  be  rewarded  for  all 
you  have  suffered  elsewhere.  Your  every  wish  shall 
be  gratified.  Only  try  to  find  me  out,  no  matter  how  I 
may  be  disguised,  as  I  love  you  dearly,  and  in  making 
me  happy  you  will  find  your  own  happiness.  Be  as 
true-hearted  as  you  are  beautiful,  and  we  shall  have 
nothing  left  to  wish  for." 

"  What  can  I  do,  Prince,  to  make  you  happy?  "  said 
Beauty. 

"  Only  be  grateful,"  he  answered,  "  and  do  not  trust 
too  much  to  your  eyes.     And,  above  all,  do  not  desert 


162  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

me  until  you  have  saved  me  from  my  cruel  misery." 
After  this  she  thought  she  found  herself  in  a  room 

with  a  stately  and  beautiful  lady,  who  said  to  her : 
"  Dear  Beauty,  try  not  to  regret  all  you  have  left 

behind  you,   for  you  are  destined  to  a  better   fate. 

Only  do  not  let  yourself  be  deceived  by  appearances. " 


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WKIMJHm  1 

f^i^mm-^  ' 

Beauty  found  her  dreams  so  interesting  that  she  was 
in  no  hurry  to  awake,  but  presently  the  clock  roused 
her  by  calling  her  name  softly  twelve  times,  and  then 
she  got  up  and  found  her  dressing-table  set  out  with 
everything  she  could  possibly  want;  and  when  her 
toilet  was  finished  she  found  dinner  was  waiting  in  the 
room  next  to  hers.  But  dinner  does  not  take  very 
long  when  you  are  all  by  yourself,  and  very  soon 
she  sat  down  cosily  in  the  corner  of  a  sofa,  and  began 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  163 

to  think  about  the  charming  Prince  she  had  seen  in  her 
dream. 

"  He  said  I  could  make  him  happy,"  said  Beauty  to 
herself. 

"  It  seems,  then,  that  this  horrible  Beast  keeps  him 
a  prisoner.  How  can  I  set  him  free  ?  I  wonder  why 
they  both  told  me  not  to  trust  to  appearances?  I 
don't  understand  it.  But,  after  all,  it  was  only  a 
dream,  so  why  should  I  trouble  myself  about  it?  I 
had  better  go  and  find  something  to  do  to  amuse 
myself." 

So  she  got  up  and  began  to  exolore  some  of  the 
many  rooms  of  the  palace. 

The  first  she  entered  was  lined  with  mirrors,  and 
Beauty  saw  herself  reflected  on  every  side,  and  thought 
she  had  never  seen  such  a  charming  room.  Then  a 
bracelet  which  was  hanging  from  a  chandelier  caught 
her  eye,  and  on  taking  it  down  she  was  greatly  sur- 
prised to  find  that  it  held  a  portrait  of  her  unknown 
admirer,  just  as  she  had  seen  him  in  her  dream.  With 
great  delight  she  slipped  the  bracelet  on  her  arm,  and 
went  on  into  a  gallery  of  pictures,  where  she  soon 
found  a  portrait  of  the  same  handsome  Prince,  as 
large  as  life,  and  so  well  painted  that  as  she  studied  it 
he  seemed  to  smile  kindly  at  her.  Tearing  herself 
away  from  the  portrait  at  last,  she  passed  through 
into  a  room  which  contained  every  musical  instrument 
under  the  sun,  and  here  she  amused  herself  for  a  long 
while  in  trying  some  of  them,  and  singing  until  she 
was  tired.  The  next  room  was  a  library,  and  she  saw 
everything  she  had  ever  wanted  to  read,  as  well  as 


1 64  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

everything  she  had  read,  and  it  seemed  to  her  that  a 
whole  lifetime  would  not  be  enough  even  to  read  the 
names  of  the  books,  there  were  so  many.  By  this  time 
it  was  growing  dusk,  and  wax  candles  in  diamond  and 
ruby  candlesticks  were  beginning  to  light  themselves 
in  every  room. 

Beauty  found  her  supper  served  just  at  the  time  she 
preferred  to  have  it,  but  she  did  not  see  any  one  or 
hear  a  sound,  and,  though  her  father  had  warned  her 
that  she  would  be  alone,  she  began  to  find  it  rather  dull. 

But  presently  she  heard  the  Beast  coming,  and 
wondered  tremblingly  if  he  meant  to  eat  her  up  now. 

However,  as  he  did  not  seem  at  all  ferocious,  and 
only  said  gruffly : 

"  Good-evening,  Beauty,"  she  answered  cheerfully 
and  managed  to  conceal  her  terror.  Then  the  Beast 
asked  her  how  she  had  been  amusing  herself,  and  she 
told  him  all  the  rooms  she  had  seen. 

Then  he  asked  if  she  thought  she  could  be  happy  in 
his  palace;  and  Beauty  answered  that  everything  was 
so  beautiful  that  she  would  be  very  hard  to  please  if 
she  could  not  be  happy.  And  after  about  an  hour's 
talk  Beauty  began  to  think  that  the  Beast  was  not 
nearly  so  terrible  as  she  had  supposed  at  first.  Then 
he  got  up  to  leave  her,  and  said  in  his  grufl  voice : 

"  Do  you  love  me,  Beauty  ?     Will  you  marry  me  ?  " 

"  Oh!  what  shall  I  say?  "  cried  Beauty,  for  she  was 
afraid  to  make  the  Beast  angry  by  refusing. 

"  Say  '  yes  '  or  '  no  '  without  fear,"  he  replied. 

"  Oh !  no,  Beast,"  said  Beauty  hastily. 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  165 

"  Since  you  will  not,  good-night,  Beauty,"  he  said. 
And  she  answered: 

"  Good-night,  Beast,"  very  glad  to  find  that  her  re- 
fusal had  not  provoked  him.  And  after  he  was  gone 
she  was  very  soon  in  bed  and  asleep,  and  dreaming 
of  her  unknown  Prince.  She  thought  he  came  and 
said  to  her : 

"  Ah,  Beauty !  why  are  you  so  unkind  to  me  ?  I 
fear  I  am  fated  to  be  unhappy  for  many  a  long  day 
still." 

And  then  her  dreams  changed,  but  the  charming 
Prince  figured  in  them  all;  and  when  morning  came 
her  first  thought  was  to  look  at  the  portrait  and  see 
if  it  was  really  like  him,  and  she  found  that  it  certainly 
was. 

This  morning  she  decided  to  amuse  herself  in  the 
garden,  for  the  sun  shone,  and  all  the  fountains  were 
playing ;  but  she  was  astonished  to  find  that  every  place 
was  familiar  to  her,  and  presently  she  came  to  the 
brook  where  the  myrtle  trees  were  growing  where  she 
had  first  met  the  Prince  in  her  dream,  and  that  made 
her  think  more  than  ever  that  he  must  be  kept  a 
prisoner  by  the  Beast.  When  she  was  tired  she  went 
back  to  the  palace,  and  found  a  new  room  full  of  ma- 
terials for  every  kind  of  work  —  ribbons  to  make  into 
bows,  and  silks  to  work  into  flowers.  Then  there  was 
an  aviary  full  of  rare  birds,  which  were  so  tame  that 
they  flew  to  Beauty  as  soon  as  they  saw  her,  and 
perched  upon  her  shoulders  and  her  head. 

"  Pretty  little  creatures,"  she  said,  "  how  I  wish  that 


1 66  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

your  cage  was  nearer  to  my  room,  that  I  might  often 
hear  you  sing !  " 


So  saying  she  opened  a  door,  and  found  to  her  de- 
light that  it  led  into  her  own  room,  though  she  had 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  167 

thought  it  was  quite  the  other  side  of  the  palace. 
There  were  more  birds  in  a  room  farther  on,  parrots 
and  cockatoos  that  could  talk,  and  they  greeted  Beauty 
by  name ;  indeed,  she  found  them  so  entertaining  that 
she  took  one  or  two  back  to  her  room,  and  they  talked 
to  her  while  she  was  at  supper;  after  which  the  Beast 
paid  her  his  usual  visit,  and  asked  the  same  question 
as  before,  and  then  with  a  gruff  "  good-night  "  he  took 
his  departure,  and  Beauty  went  to  bed  to  dream  of  her 
mysterious  Prince.  The  days  passed  swiftly  in  dif- 
ferent amusements,  and  after  a  while  Beauty  found 
out  another  strange  thing  in  the  palace,  which  often 
pleased  her  when  she  was  tired  of  being  alone.  There 
was  one  room  which  she  had  not  noticed  particularly ; 
it  was  empty,  except  that  under  each  of  the  windows 
stood  a  very  comfortable  chair;  and  the  first  time  she 
had  looked  out  of  the  window  it  had  seemed  to  her  that 
a  black  curtain  prevented  her  from  seeing  anything 
outside.  But  the  second  time  she  went  into  the  room, 
happening  to  be  tired,  she  sat  down  in  one  of  the 
chairs,  when  instantly  the  curtain  was  rolled  aside,  and 
a  most  amusing  pantomime  was  acted  before  her; 
there  were  dances,  and  colored  lights,  and  music,  and 
pretty  dresses,  and  it  was  all  so  gay  that  Beauty  was 
in  ecstasies.  After  that  she  tried  the  other  seven 
windows  in  turn,  and  there  was  some  new  surprising 
entertainment  to  be  seen  from  each  of  them,  so  that 
Beauty  never  could  feel  lonely  any  more.  Every  eve- 
ning after  supper  the  Beast  came  to  see  her,  and  always 
before  saying  good-night  asked  her  in  his  terrible 
voice : 


168  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

"  Beauty,  will  you  marry  me?  " 

And  it  seemed  to  Beauty,  now  she  understood  him 
better,  that  when  she  said,  "  No,  Beast,"  he  went  away 
quite  sad.  But  her  happy  dreams  of  the  handsome 
young  Prince  soon  made  her  forget  the  poor  Beast, 
and  the  only  thing  that  at  all  disturbed  her  was  to  be 
constantly  told  to  distrust  appearances,  to  let  her  heart 
guide  her,  and  not  her  eyes,  and  many  other  equally 
perplexing  things,  which,  consider  as  she  would,  she. 
could  not  understand. 

So  everything  went  on  for  a  long  time,  until  at  last, 
happy  as  she  was,  Beauty  began  to  long  for  the  sight 
of  her  father  and  her  brothers  and  sisters;  and  one 
night,  seeing  her  look  very  sad,  the  Beast  asked  her 
what  was  the  matter.  Beauty  had  quite  ceased  to  be 
afraid  of  him.  Now  she  knew  that  he  was  really 
gentle  in  spite  of  his  ferocious  looks  and  his  dreadful 
voice.  So  she  answered  that  she  was  longing  to  see 
her  home  once  more.  Upon  hearing  this  the  Beast 
seemed  sadly  distressed,  and  cried  miserably. 

"  Ah !  Beauty,  have  you  the  heart  to  desert  an  un- 
happy Beast  like  this?  What  more  do  you  want  to 
make  you  happy?  Is  it  because  you  hate  me  that  you 
want  to  escape? " 

"  No,  dear  Beast,"  answered  Beauty  softly,  "  I  do 
not  hate  you,  and  I  should  be  very  sorry  never  to  see 
you  any  more,  but  I  long  to  see  my  father  again. 
Only  let  me  go  for  two  months,  and  I  promise  to  come 
back  to  you  and  stay  for  the  rest  of  my  life." 

The  Beast,  who  had  been  sighing  dolefully  while  she 
spoke,  now  replied : 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  169 

"  I  cannot  refuse  you  anything  you  ask,  even  though 
it  should  cost  me  my  life.  Take  the  four  boxes  you 
will  find  in  the  room  next  to  your  own,  and  fill  them 
with  everything  you  wish  to  take  with  you.  But  re- 
member your  promise  and  come  back  when  the  two 
months  are  over,  or  you  may  have  cause  to  repent  it, 
for  if  you  do  not  come  in  good  time  you  will  find  your 
faithful  Beast  dead.  You  will  not  need  any  chariot  to 
bring  you  back.  Only  say  good-by  to  all  your  brothers 
and  sisters  the  night  before  you  come  away,  and  when 
you  have  gone  to  bed  turn  this  ring  round  upon  your 
finger  and  say  firmly :  '  I  wish  to  go  back  to  my  palace 
and  see  my  Beast  again.'  Good-night,  Beauty.  Fear 
nothing,  sleep  peacefully,  and  before  long  you  shall 
see  your  father  once  more." 

As  soon  as  Beauty  was  alone  she  hastened  to  fill  the 
boxes  with  all  the  rare  and  precious  things  she  saw 
>  about  her,  and  only  when  she  was  tired  of  heaping 
things  into  them  did  they  seem  to  be  full. 

Then  she  went  to  bed,  but  could  hardly  sleep  for 
joy.  And  when  at  last  she  did  begin  to  dream  of  her 
beloved  Prince  she  was  grieved  to  see  him  stretched 
upon  a  grassy  bank  sad  and  weary,  and  hardly  like 
himself. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  she  cried. 

But  he  looked  at  her  reproachfully,  and  said : 

"  How  can  you  ask  me,  cruel  one  ?  Are  you  not 
leaving  me  to  my  death  perhaps?  " 

"  Ah!  don't  be  so  sorrowful,"  cried  Beauty;  "  I  am 
only  going  to  assure  my  father  that  I  am  safe  and 
happy.     I  have  promised  the  Beast  faithfully  that  I 


i jo  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

will  come  back,  and  he  would  die  of  grief  if  I  did  not 
keep  my  word !  " 

"  What  would  that  matter  to  you?  "  said  the  Prince. 
"  Surely  you  would  not  care?  " 

"  Indeed  I  should  be  ungrateful  if  I  did  not  care  for 
such  a  kind  Beast,"  cried  Beauty  indignantly.  "  I 
would  die  to  save  him  from  pain.  I  assure  you  it  is 
not  his  fault  that  he  is  so  ugly." 

Just  then  a  strange  sound  woke  her  —  some  one  was 
speaking  not  very  far  away ;  and  opening  her  eyes  she 
found  herself  in  a  room  she  had  never  seen  before, 
which  was  certainly  not  nearly  so  splendid  as  those 
she  was  used  to  in  the  Beast's  palace.  Where  could 
she  be  ?  She  got  up  and  dressed  hastily,  and  then  saw 
that  the  boxes  she  had  packed  the  night  before  were  all 
in  the  room.  While  she  was  wondering  by  what 
magic  the  Beast  had  transported  them  and  herself  to 
this  strange  place  she  suddenly  heard  her  father's 
voice,  and  rushed  out  and  greeted  him  joyfully.  Her 
brothers  and  sisters  were  all  astonished  at  her  ap- 
pearance, as  they  had  never  expected  to  see  her  again, 
and  there  was  no  end  to  the  questions  they  asked  her. 
She  had  also  much  to  hear  about  what  had  happened 
to  them  while  she  was  away,  and  of  her  father's 
journey  home.  But  when  they  heard  that  she  had  only 
come  to  be  with  them  for  a  short  time,  and  then  must 
go  back  to  the  Beast's  palace  forever,  they  lamented 
loudly.  Then  Beauty  asked  her  father  what  he 
thought  could  be  the  meaning  of  her  strange  dreams, 
and  why  the  Prince  constantly  begged  her  not  to  trust 
to    appearances.     After    much    consideration    he    an- 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  171 

swered :  "  You  tell  me  yourself  that  the  Beast,  fright- 
ful as  he  is,  loves  you  dearly,  and  deserves  your  love 
and  gratitude  for  his  gentleness  and  kindness;  I  think 
the  Prince  must  mean  you  to  understand  that  you 
ought  to  reward  him  by  doing  as  he  wishes  you  to,  in 
spite  of  his  ugliness." 

Beauty  could  not  help  seeing  that  this  seemed  very 
probable;  still,  when  she  thought  of  her  dear  Prince 
who  was,  so  handsome,  she  did  not  feel  at  all  inclined 
to  marry  the  Beast.  At  any  rate,  for  two  months  she 
need  not  decide,  but  could  enjoy  herself  with  her 
sisters.  But  though  they  were  rich  now,  and  lived  in 
a  town  again,  and  had  plenty  of  acquaintances,  Beauty 
found  that  nothing  amused  her  very  much;  and  she 
often  thought  of  the  palace,  where  she  was  so  happy, 
especially  as  at  home  she  never  once  dreamed  of  her 
dear  Prince,  and  she  felt  quite  sad  without  him. 

Then  her  sisters  seemed  to  have  got  quite  used  to 
being  without  her,  and  even  found  her  rather  in  the 
way,  so  she  would  not  have  been  sorry  when  the  two 
months  were  over  but  for  her  father  and  brothers,  who 
begged  her  to  stay,  and  seemed  so  grieved  at  the 
thought  of  her  departure  that  she  had  not  the  courage 
to  say  good-by  to  them.  Every  day  when  she  got  up 
she  meant  to  say  it  at  night,  and  when  night  came  she 
put  it  off  again,  until  at  last  she  had  a  dismal  dream 
which  helped  her  to  make  up  her  mind.  She  thought 
she  was  wandering  in  a  lonely  path  in  the  palace 
gardens  when  she  heard  groans  which  seemed  to  come 
from  some  bushes  hiding  the  entrance  of  a  cave,  and 
running  quickly  to  see  what  could  be  the  matter,  she 
vol.  1— 13 


172  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

found  the  Beast  stretched  out  upon  his  side,  apparently- 
dying.  He  reproached  her  faintly  with  being  the 
cause  of  his  distress,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  stately 
lady  appeared,  and  said  very  gravely: 

"  Ah !  Beauty,  you  are  only  just  in  time  to  save  his 
life.  See  what  happens  when  people  do  not  keep  their 
promises!  If  you  had  delayed  one  day  more,  you 
would  have  found  him  dead/' 

Beauty  was  so  terrified  by  this  dream  that  the  next 
morning  she  announced  her  intention  of  going  back 
at  once,  and  that  very  night  she  said  good-by  to  her 
father  and  all  her  brothers  and  sisters,  and  as  soon  as 
she  was  in  bed  she  turned  her  ring  round  upon  her 
finger,  and  said  firmly : 

"  I  wish  to  go  back  to  my  palace  and  see  my  Beast 
again,"  as  she  had  been  told  to  do. 

Then  she  fell  asleep  instantly,  and  only  woke  up  to 
hear  the  clock  saying,  "  Beauty,  Beauty,"  twelve  times 
in  its  musical  voice,  which  told  her  at  once  that  she 
was  really  in  the  palace  once  more.  Everything  was 
just  as  before,  and  her  birds  were  so  glad  to  see  her! 
but  Beauty  thought  she  had  never  known  such  a  long 
day,  for  she  was  so  anxious  to  see  the  Beast  again  thai 
she  felt  as  if  supper-time  would  never  come. 

But  when  it  did  come  and  no  Beast  appeared  she 
was  really  frightened;  so,  after  listening  and  waiting 
for  a  long  time,  she  ran  down  into  the  garden  to  search 
for  him.  Up  and  down  the  paths  and  avenues  ran 
poor  Beauty,  calling  him  in  vain,  for  no  one  answered, 
and  not  a  trace  of  him  could  she  find;  until  at  last, 
quite  tired,  she  stopped  for  a  minute's  rest,  and  saw 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 


173 


that  she  was  standing  opposite  the  shady  path  she  had 
seen  in  her  dream.  She  rushed  down  it,  and,  sure 
enough,  there  was  the  cave,  and  in  it  lay  the  Beast  — 
asleep,  as  Beauty  thought.  Quite  glad  to  have  found 
him,  she  ran  up  and  stroked  his  head,  but  to  her  horror 
he  did  not  move  or  open  his  eyes. 

"  Oh !  he  is  dead ;  and  it  is  all  my  fault,"  said  Beauty, 
crying  bitterly. 


But  then,  looking  at  him  again,  she  fancied  he  still 
breathed  and,  hastily  fetching  some  water  from  the 
nearest  fountain,  she  sprinkled  it  over  his  face,  and 
to  her  great  delight  he  began  to  revive. 

"  Oh !  Beast,  how  you  frightened  me !  "  she  cried. 
"  I  never  knew  how  much  I  loved  you  until  just  now, 
when  I  feared  I  was  too  late  to  save  your  life." 

"  Can  you  really  love  such  an  ugly  creature  as  I 
am?"  said  the  Beast  faintly.     "  Ah!  Beauty,  you  only 


174  BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST 

came  just  in  time.  I  was  dying  because  I  thought  you 
had  forgotten  your  promise.  But  go  back  now  and 
rest,  I  shall  see  you  again  by-and-by." 

Beauty,  who  had  half  expected  that  he  would  be 
angry  with  her,  was  reassured  by  his  gentle  voice,  and 
went  back  to  the  palace,  where  supper  was  awaiting 
her;  and  afterwards  the  Beast  came  in  as  usual,  and 
talked  about  the  time  she  had  spent  with  her  father, 
asking  if  she  had  enjoyed  herself,  and  if  they  had  all 
been  very  glad  to  see  her. 

Beauty  answered  politely,  and  quite  enjoyed  telling 
him  all  that  had  happened  to  her.  And  when  at  last 
the  time  came  for  him  to  go,  and  he  asked,  as  he  had 
so  ofen  asked  be 'ore: 

"  Beauty,  will  you  marry  me?  "  she  answered  softly : 

"  Yes,  dear  Beast." 

As  she  spoke  a  blaze  of  light  sprang  up  before  the 
windows  of  the  palace;  fireworks  crackled  and  guns 
banged,  and  across  the  avenue  of  orange  trees,  in 
letters  all  made  of  fire-flies,  was  written :  "  Long  live 
the  Prince  and  his  Bride." 

Turning  to  ask  the  Beast  what  it  could  all  mean, 
Beauty  found  that  he  had  disappeared,  and  in  his  place 
stood  her  long-loved  Prince!  At  the  same  moment 
the  wheels  of  a  chariot  were  heard  upon  the  terrace, 
and  two  ladies  entered  the  room.  One  of  them  Beauty 
recognized  as  the  stately  lady  she  had  seen  in  her 
dreams ;  the  other  was  also  so  grand  and  queenly  that 
Beauty  hardly  knew  which  to  greet  first. 

But  the  one  she  already  knew  said  to  her  companion : 

"  Well,  Queen,  this  is  Beauty,  who  has  had  the 


BEAUTY  AND  THE  BEAST  17$ 

courage  to  rescue  your  son  from  the  terrible  enchant- 
ment. They  love  one  another,  and  only  your  consent 
to  their  marriage  is  wanting  to  make  them  perfectly 
happy." 

"  I  consent  with  all  my  heart,"  cried  the  Queen. 
"  How  can  I  ever  thank  you  enough,  charming  girl,  for 
having  restored  my  dear  son  to  his  natural  form  ?  " 

And  then  she  tenderly  embraced  Beauty  and  the 
Prince,  who  had  meanwhile  been  greeting  the  Fairy 
and  receiving  her  congratulations. 

"  Now,"  said  the  Fairy  to  Beauty,  "  I  suppose  you 
would  like  me  to  send  for  all  your  brothers  and  sisters 
to  dance  at  your  wedding?  " 

And  so  she  did,  and  the  marriage  was  celebrated  the 
very  next  day  with  the  utmost  splendor,  and  Beauty 
and  the  Prince  lived  happily  ever  after.1 

1  La  Belle  et  la  Bete.    Par  Madame  de  Villeneuve. 


its' 

JJdZ 
V3 


THE  MASTER-MAID 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  king  who  had  many- 
sons.  I  do  not  exactly  know  how  many  there 
were,  but  the  youngest  of  them  could  not  stay  quietly 
at  home,  and  was  determined  to  go  out  into  the  world 
and  try  his  luck,  and  after  a  long  time  the  King  was 
forced  to  give  him  leave  to  go.  When  he  had  travelled 
about  for  several  days,  he  came  to  a  giant's  house,  and 
hired  himself  to  the  giant  as  a  servant.  In  the  morn- 
ing the  giant  had  to  go  out  to  pasture  his  goats,  and 
as  he  was  leaving  the  house  he  told  the  King's  son  that 
he  must  clean  out  the  stable.  "  And  after  you  have 
done  that,"  he  said,  "  you  need  not  do  any  more  work 
to-day,  for  you  have  come  to  a  kind  master,  and  that 
you  shall  find.  But  what  I  set  you  to  do  must  be  done 
both  well  and  thoroughly,  and  you  must  on  no  account 
go  into  any  of  the  rooms  which  lead  out  of  the  room  in 
which  you  slept  last  night.  If  you  do,  I  will  take  your 
life."  * 

"  Well  to  be  sure,  he  is  an  easy  master !  "  said  the 
Prince  to  himself  as  he  walked  up  and  down  the  room 
humming  and  singing,  for  he  thought  there  would  be 
plenty  of  time  left  to  clean  out  the  stable ;  "  but  it 
would  be  amusing  to  steal  a  glance  into  his  other  rooms 
as  well,"  thought  the  Prince,  "  for  there  must  be  some- 
thing that  he  is  afraid  of  my  seeing,  as  I  am  not  al- 

176 


THE  MASTER-MAID 


177 


lowed  to  enter  them."  So  he  went  into  the  first  room. 
A  cauldron  was  hanging  from  the  walls ;  it  was  boiling, 
but  the  Prince  could  see  no  fire  under  it.  "  I  wonder 
what  is  inside  it,"  he  thought,  and  dipped  a  lock  of  his 
hair  in,  and  the  hair  became  just  as  if  it  were  all  made 
of  copper.  "  That's 
a  nice  kind  of  soup. 
If  any  one  were  to 
taste  that  his  throat 
would  be  gilded," 
said  the  youth,  and 
then  he  went  into 
the  next  chamber. 
There,  too,  a  caul- 
dron was  hanging 
from  the  wall,  bub- 
bling and  boiling,  but 
there  was  no  fire 
under  this  either. 
"  I  will  just  try  what 
this  is  like  too,"  said 
the  Prince,  thrusting 
another  lock  of  his 
hair  into  it,  and  it 
came  out  silvered 
over.  "  Such  costly  soup  is  not  to  be  had  in  my  fa- 
ther's palace,"  said  the  Prince ;  "  but  everything  depends 
on  how  it  tastes,"  and  then  he  went  into  the  third 
room.  There,  too,  a  cauldron  was  hanging  from 
the  wall,  boiling,  exactly  the  same  as  in  the  two 
other  rooms,  and  the  Prince  took  pleasure  in  trying 


178  THE  MASTER-MAID 

this  also,  so  he  dipped  a  lock  of  hair  in,  and  it 
came  out  so  brightly  gilded  that  it  shone  again. 
"  Some  talk  about  going  from  bad  to  worse,"  said  the 
Prince;  "but  this  is  better  and  better.  If  he  boils 
gold  here,  what  can  he  boil  in  there?  "  He  was  deter- 
mined to  see,  and  went  through  the  door  into  the 
fourth  room.  No  cauldron  was  to  be  seen  there,  but 
on  a  bench  some  one  was  seated  who  was  like  a  king's 
daughter,  but,  whosoever  she  was,  she  was  so  beautiful 
that  never  in  the  Prince's  life  had  he  seen  her  equal. 

"  Oh !  in  heaven's  name  what  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 
said  she  who  sat  upon  the  bench. 

"  I  took  the  place  of  servant  here  yesterday,"  said 
the  Prince. 

"  May  you  soon  have  a  better  place,  if  you  have 
come  to  serve  here !  "  said  she. 

"  Oh !  but  I  think  I  have  got  a  kind  master,"  said 
the  Prince.  "  He  has  not  given  me  hard  work  to  do 
to-day.  When  I  have  cleaned  out  the  stable  I  shall 
be  done." 

"Yes,  but  how  will  you  be  able  to  do  that?"  she 
asked  again.  "If  you  clean  it  out  as  other  people  do, 
ten  pitchforksful  will  come  in  for  every  one  you  throw 
out.  But  I  will  teach  you  how  to  do  it :  you  must  turn 
your  pitchfork  upside  down,  and  work  with  the  handle, 
and  then  all  will  fly  out  of  its  own  accord." 

"  Yes,  I  will  attend  to  that,"  said  the  Prince,  and 
stayed  sitting  where  he  was  the  whole  day,  for  it  was 
soon  settled  between  them  that  they  would  marry  each 
other,  he  and  the  King's  daughter;  so  the  first  day  of 
his  service  with  the  giant  did  not  seem  long  to  him. 


THE  MASTER-MAID  179 

But  when  evening  was  drawing  near  she  said  that  it 
would  now  be  better  for  him  to  clean  out  the  stable 
before  the  giant  came  home.  When  he  got  there  he 
had  a  fancy  to  try  if  what  she  had  said  were  true,  so 
he  began  to  work  in  the  same  way  that  he  had  seen  the 
stable-boys  doing  in  his  father's  stables,  but  he  soon 
saw  that  he  must  give  up  that,  for  when  he  had  worked 
a  very  short  time  he  had  scarcely  room  left  to  stand. 
So  he  did  what  the  Princess  had  taught  him,  turned  the 
pitchfork  round,  and  worked  with  the  handle,  and  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye  the  stable  was  as  clean  as  if 
it  had  been  scoured.  When  he  had  done  that,  he  went 
back  again  into  the  room  in  which  the  giant  had  given 
him  leave  to  stay,  and  there  he  walked  backwards  and 
forwards  on  the  floor,  and  began  to  hum  and  to  sing. 

Then  came  the  giant  home  with  the  goats.  "  Have 
you  cleaned  the  stable?  "  asked  the  giant. 

"  Yes,  now  it  is  clean  and  sweet,  master/'  said  the 
King's  son. 

"  I  shall  see  about  that,"  said  the  giant,  and  went 
round  to  the  stable,  but  it  was  just  as  the  Prince  had 
said. 

"  You  have  certainly  been  talking  to  my  Master- 
maid,  for  you  never  got  that  out  of  your  own  head," 
said  the  giant. 

"  Master-maid !  What  kind  of  a  thing  is  that, 
master?"  said  the  Prince,  making  himself  look  as 
stupid  as  an  ass;  "  I  should  like  to  see  that." 

"  Well,  you  will  see  her  quite  soon  enough,"  said 
the  giant. 

On  the  second  morning  the  giant  had  again  to  go  out 


180  THE  MASTER-MAID 

with  his  goats,  so  he  told  the  Prince  that  on  that  day 
he  was  to  fetch  home  his  horse,  which  was  out  on  the 
mountain-side,  and  when  he  had  done  that  he  might 
rest  himself  for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  "  for  you 
have  come  to  a  kind  master,  and  that  you  shall  find," 
said  the  giant  once  more.  "  But  do  not  go  into  any 
of  the  rooms  that  I  spoke  of  yesterday,  or  I  will  wring 
your  head  off,"  said  he,  and  then  went  away  with  his 
flock  of  goats. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  you  are  a  kind  master,"  said  the 
Prince ;  "  but  I  will  go  in  and  talk  to  the  Master-maid 
again;  perhaps  before  long  she  may  like  better  to  be 
mine  than  yours." 

So  he  went  to  her.  Then  she  asked  him  what  he 
had  to  do  that  day. 

"  Oh !  not  very  dangerous  work,  I  fancy,"  said  the 
King's  son.  "  I  have  only  to  go  up  the  mountain-side 
after  his  horse." 

.  "  Well,  how  do  you  mean  to  set  about  it  ?  "  asked  the 
Master-maid. 

"  Oh !  there  is  no  great  art  in  riding  a  horse  home," 
said  the  King's  son.  "  I  think  I  must  have  ridden 
friskier  horses  before  now." 

"  Yes,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  a  thing  as  you  think  to 
ride  the  horse  home,"  said  the  Master-maid ;  "  but  I 
will  teach  you  what  to  do.  When  you  go  near  it,  fire 
will  burst  out  of  its  nostrils  like  flames  from  a  pine 
torch:  but  be  very  careful,  and  take  the  bridle 
which  is  hanging  by  the  door  there,  and  fling  the  bit 
straight  into  its  jaws,  and  then  it  will  become  so  tame 
that  you  will  be  able  to  do  what  you  like  with  it."     He 


THE  MASTER-MAID  181 

said  he  would  bear  this  in  mind,  and  then  he  again  sat 
in  there  the  whole  day  by  the  Master-maid,  and  they 
chatted  and  talked  of  one  thing  and  another,  but  the 
first  thing  and  the  last  now  was,  how  happy  and  de- 
lightful it  would  be  if  they  could  but  marry  each  other, 
and  get  safely  away  from  the  giant;  and  the  Prince 
would  have  forgotten  both  the  mountain-side  and  the 
horse  if  the  Master-maid  had  not  reminded  him  of 
them  as  evening  drew  near,  and  said  that  now  it  would 
be  better  if  he  went  to  fetch  the  horse  before  the  giant 
came.  So  he  did  this,  and  took  the  bridle  which  was 
hanging  on  a  crook,  and  strode  up  the  mountain-side, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  he  met  with  the  horse,  and 
fire  and  red  flames  streamed  forth  out  of  its  nostrils. 
But  the  youth  carefully  watched  his  opportunity,  and 
just  as  it  was  rushing  at  him  with  open  jaws  he  threw 
the  bit  straight  into  its  mouth,  and  the  horse  stood  as 
quiet  as  a  young  lamb,  and  there  was  no  difficulty  at 
all  in  getting  it  home  to  the  stable.  Then  the  Prince 
went  back  into  his  room  again,  and  began  to  hum  and 
to  sing. 

Towards  evening  the  giant  came  home.  "  Have 
you  fetched  the  horse  back  from  the  mountain-side?  " 
he  asked. 

"  That  I  have,  master ;  it  was  an  amusing  horse  to 
ride,  but  I  rode  him  straight  home,  and  put  him  in  the 
stable  too,"  said  the  Prince. 

"  I  will  see  about  that,"  said  the  giant,  and  went 
out  to  the  stable,  but  the  horse  was  standing  there  just 
as  the  Prince  had  said.  "  You  have  certainly  been 
talking  with  my  Master-maid,  for  you  never  got  that 


182  THE  MASTER-MAID 

out    of    your    own    head,"    said    the    giant    again. 

"  Yesterday,  master,  you  talked  about  this  Master- 
maid,  and  to-day  you  are  talking  about  her ;  ah !  heaven 
bless  you,  master,  why  will  you  not  show  me  the  thing  ? 
for  it  would  be  a  real  pleasure  to  me  to  see  it,"  said  the 
Prince,  who  again  pretended  to  be  silly  and  stupid. 

"  Oh !  you  will  see  her  quite  soon  enough,"  said  the 
giant. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  the  giant  again  had 
to  go  into  the  wood  with  the  goats.  "  To-day  you 
must  go  underground  and  fetch  my  taxes,"  he  said  to 
the  Prince.  "  When  you  have  done  this,  you  may  rest 
for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  for  you  shall  see  what 
an  easy  master  you  have  come  to,"  and  then  he  went 
away. 

"  Well,  however  easy  a  master  you  may  be,  you  set 
me  very  hard  work  to  do,"  thought  the  Prince ;  "  but 
I  will  see  if  I  cannot  find  your  Master-maid;  you  say 
she  is  yours,  but  for  all  that  she  may  be  able  to  tell  me 
what  to  do  now,"  and  he  went  to  her.  So,  when  the 
Master-maid  asked  him  what  the  giant  had  set  him  to 
do  that  day,  he  told  her  that  he  was  to  go  underground 
and  get  the  taxes. 

"  And  how  will  you  set  about  that  ? "  said  the 
Master-maid. 

"  Oh !  you  must  tell  me  how  to  do  it,"  said  the 
Prince,  "  for  I  have  never  yet  been  underground,  and 
even  if  I  knew  the  way  I  do  not  know  how  much  I 
am  to  demand." 

"  Oh !  yes,  I  will  soon  tell  you  that ;  you  must  go  to 
the  rock  there  under  the  mountain-ridge,  and  take  the 


THE  MASTER-MAID  183 

club  that  is  there,  and  knock  on  the  rock  wall,"  said  the 
Master-maid.  "  Then  some  one  will  come  out  who 
will  sparkle  with  fire:  you  shall  tell  him  your  errand, 
and  when  he  asks  you  how  much  you  want  to  have  you 
are  to  say :  '  As  much  as  I  can  carry.'  " 

"  Yes,  I  will  keep  that  in  mind,"  said  he,  and  then 
he  sat  there  with  the  Master-maid  the  whole  day,  until 
night  drew  near,  and  he  would  gladly  have  stayed  there 
till  now  if  the  Master-maid  had  not  reminded  him  that 
it  was  time  to  be  off  to  fetch  the  taxes  before  the  giant 
came. 

So  he  set  out  on  his  way,  and  did  exactly  what  the 
Master-maid  had  told  him.  He  went  to  the  rocky 
wall,  and  took  the  club,  and  knocked  on  it.  Then 
came  one  so  full  of  sparks  that  they  flew  both  out  of  his 
eyes  and  his  nose.     "  What  do  you  want  ?  "  said  he. 

"  I  was  to  come  here  for  the  giant,  and  demand  the 
tax  for  him,"  said  the  King's  son. 

"How  much  are  you  to  have  then?"  said  the 
other. 

"  I  ask  for  no  more  than  I  am  able  to  carry  with 
me,"  said  the  Prince. 

"  It  is  well  for  you  that  you  have  not  asked  for  a 
horse-load,"  said  he  who  had  come  out  of  the  rock. 
"  But  now  come  in  with  me." 

This  the  Prince  did,  and  what  a  quantity  of  gold  and 
silver  he  saw!  It  was  lying  inside  the  mountain  like 
heaps  of  stones  in  a  waste  place,  and  he  got  a  load  that 
was  as  large  as  he  was  able  to  carry,  and  with  that  he 
went  his  way.  So  in  the  evening,  when  the  giant  came 
home  with  the  goats,  the  Prince  went  into  the  chamber 


1 84  THE  MASTER-MAID 

and  hummed  and  sang  again  as  he  had  done  on  the 
other  two  evenings. 


"  Have  you  been  for  the  tax?  "  said  the  giant. 

"  Yes,  that  I  have,  master,"  said  the  Prince. 

"  Where  have  you  put  it  then?  "  said  the  giant  again, 


THE  MASTER-MAID  185 


"  The  bag  of  gold  is  standing  there  on  the  bench,'' 
said  the  Prince. 

"  I  will  see  about  that,"  said  the  giant,  and  went 
away  to  the  bench,  but  the  bag  was  standing  there,  and 
It  was  so  full  that  gold  and  silver  dropped  out  when 
the  giant  untied  the  string. 

"  You  have  certainly  been  talking  with  my  Master- 
maid!  "  said  the  giant,  "  and  if  you  have  I  will  wring 
your  neck." 

"Master-maid?"  said  the  Prince:  "  yesterday  my 
master  talked  about  this  Master-maid,  and  to-day  he 
is  talking  about  her  again,  and  the  first  day  of  all  it 
was  talk  of  the  same  kind.  I  do  wish  I  could  see  the 
thing  myself,"  said  he. 

"  Yes,  yes,  wait  till  to-morrow,"  said  the  giant,  "  and 
then  I  myself  will  take  you  to  her." 

"  Ah !  master,  I  thank  you  —  but  you  are  only  mock- 
ing me,"  said  the  King's  son. 

Next  day  the  giant  took  him  to  the  Master-maid. 
I  Now  you  shall  kill  him,  and  boil  him  in  the  great  big 
cauldron  you  know  of,  and  when  you  have  got  the 
broth  ready  give  me  a  call,"  said  the  giant;  then  he  lay 
down  on  the  bench  to  sleep,  and  almost  immediately 
began  to  snore  so  that  it  sounded  like  thunder  among 
the  hills. 

So  the  Master-maid  took  a  knife,  and  cut  the 
Prince's  little  fingers,  and  dropped  three  drops  of  blood 
upon  a  wooden  stool;  then  she  took  all  the  old  rags, 
and  shoe-soles,  and  all  the  rubbish  she  could  lay  hands 
on,  and  put  them  in  the  cauldron :  and  then  she  filled  a 
chest  with  gold  dust,  and  a  lump  of  salt,  and  a  water- 


186  THE  MASTER-MAID 

flask  which  was  hanging  by  the  door,  and  she  also  took 
with  her  a  golden  apple,  and  two  gold  chickens :  and 
then  she  and  the  Prince  went  away  with  all  the  speed 
they  could,  and  when  they  had  gone  a  little  way  they 
came  to  the  sea,  and  then  they  sailed,  but  where  they  got 
the  ship  from  I  have  never  been  able  to  learn. 

Now,  when  the  giant  had  slept  a  good  long  time,  he 
began  to  stretch  himself  on  the  bench  on  which  he  was 
lying.     "  Will  it  soon  boil  ?  "  said  he. 

"  It  is  just  beginning,"  said  the  first  drop  of  blood 
on  the  stool. 

So  the  giant  lay  down  to  sleep  again,  and  slept  for 
a  long,  long  time.     Then  he  began  to  move  about  a 
little  again.     "  Will  it  soon  be  ready  now?  "  said  he,  j 
but  he  did  not  look  up  this  time  any  more  than  he  had 
done  the  first  time,  for  he  was  still  half  asleep. 

"  Half  done !  "  said  the  second  drop  of  blood,  and 
the  giant  believed  it  was  the  Master-maid  again,  and 
turned  himself  on  the  bench,  and  lay  down  to  sleep  once 
more.  When  he  had  slept  again  for  many  hours,  he 
began  to  move  and  stretch  himself.  "  Is  it  not  done 
yet  ?  "  said  he. 

"It  is  quite  ready,"  said  the  third  drop  of  blood. 
Then  the  giant  began  to  sit  up,  and  rub  his  eyes,  but 
he  could  not  see  who  it  was  who  had  spoken  to  him,  so 
he  asked  for  the  Master-maid,  and  called  her.  But 
there  was  no  one  to  give  him  an  answer. 

"Ah!  well,  she  has  just  stolen  out  for  a  little," 
thought  the  giant,  and  he  took  a  spoon,  and  went  off 
to  the  cauldron  to  have  a  taste ;  but  there  was  nothing 


THE  MASTER-MAID  187 

in  it  but  shoe-soles,  and  rags,  and  such  trumpery  as 
that,  and  all  was  boiled  up  together,  so  that  he  could 
not  tell  whether  it  was  porridge  or  milk  pottage. 
When  he  saw  this,  he  understood  what  had  happened, 
and  fell  into  such  a  rage  that  he  hardly  knew  what  he 
was  doing.  Away  he  went  after  the  prince  and  the 
Master-maid,  so  fast  that  the  wind  whistled  behind 
him,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  came  to  the  water, 
but  he  could  not  get  over  it.  "  Well,  well,  I  will  soon 
find  a  cure  for  that:  I  have  only  to  call  my  river- 
sucker,''  said  the  giant,  and  he  did  call  him.  So  his 
river-sucker  came  and  lay  down,  and  drank  one,  two, 
three  draughts,  and  with  that  the  water  in  the  sea  fell 
so  low  that  the  giant  saw  the  Master-maid  and  the 
Prince  out  on  the  sea  in  their  ship.  "  Now  you  must 
throw  out  the  lump  of  salt,"  said  the  Master-maid, 
and  the  Prince  did  so,  and  it  grew  up  into  such  a  great 
high  mountain  right  across  the  sea  that  the  giant  could 
not  come  over  it,  and  the  river-sucker  could  not  drink 
any  more  water.  "  Well,  well,  I  will  soon  find  a  cure 
for  that,"  said  the  giant,  so  he  called  to  his  hill-borer 
to  come  and  bore  through  the  mountain  so  that  the 
river-sucker  might  be  able  to  drink  up  the  water  again. 
But  just  as  the  hole  was  made,  and  the  river-sucker 
was  beginning  to  drink,  the  Master-maid  told  the 
Prince  to  throw  one  or  two  drops  out  of  the  flask,  and 
when  he  did  this  the  sea  instantly  became  full  of  water 
again,  and  before  the  river-sucker  could  take  one  drink 
they  reached  the  land  and  were  in  safety.  So  they  de- 
termined to  go  home  to  the  Prince's  father,  but  the 
vol.  1  — 14 


i88 


THE  MASTER-MAID 


Prince  would  on  no  account  permit  the  Master-maid 
to  walk  there,  for  he  thought  that  it  was  unbecoming 
either  for  her  or  for  him  to  go  on  foot. 

"  Wait  here  the  least  little  bit  of  time,  while  I  go 
home  for  the  seven  horses  which  stand  in  my  father's 


stable,"  said  he ;  "  it  is  not  far  off,  and  I  shall  not  be 
long  away,  but  I  will  not  let  my  betrothed  bride  go  on 
foot  to  the  palace." 

"  Oh !  no,  do  not  go,  for  if  you  go  home  to  the 
King's  palace  you  will  forget  me,  I  foresee  that." 

"  How  could  I  forget  you  ?  We  have  suffered  so 
much  evil  together,  and  love  each  other  so  much,"  said 
the  Prince;  and  he  insisted  on  going  home  for  the 
coach  with  the  seven  horses,  and  she  was  to  wait  for 


THE  MASTER-MAID  189 

him  there,  by  the  sea-shore.  So  at  last  the  Master- 
maid  had  to  yield,  for  he  was  so  absolutely  determined 
to  do  it.  "  But  when  you  get  there  you  must  not 
even  give  yourself  time  to  greet  any  one,  but 
go  straight  into  the  stable,  and  take  the  horses,  and 
put  them  in  the  coach,  and  drive  back  as  quickly 
as  you  can.  For  they  will  all  come  round  about  you ; 
but  you  must  behave  just  as  if  you  did  not  see  them, 
and  on  no  account  must  you  taste  anything,  for  if  you 
do  it  will  cause  great  misery  both  to  you  and  to  me," 
said  she;  and  this  he  promised. 

But  when  he  got  home  to  the  King's  palace  one  of  his 
brothers  was  just  going  to  be  married,  and  the  bride 
and  all  her  kith  and  kin  had  come  to  the  palace;  so 
they  all  thronged  round  him,  and  questioned  him  about 
this  and  that,  and  wanted  him  to  go  in  with  them ;  but 
he  behaved  as  if  he  did  not  see  them,  and  went  straight 
to  the  stable,  and  got  out  the  horses  and  began  to  har- 
ness them.  When  they  saw  that  they  could  not  by  any 
means  prevail  on  him  to  go  in  with  them,  they  came 
out  to  him  with  meat  and  drink,  and  the  best  of  every- 
thing that  they  had  prepared  for  the  wedding;  but  the 
Prince  refused  to  touch  anything,  and  would  do  noth- 
ing but  put  the  horses  in  as  quickly  as  he  could.  At 
last,  however,  the  bride's  sister  rolled  an  apple  across 
the  yard  to  him,  and  said :  "  As  you  won't  eat  any- 
thing else,  you  may  like  to  take  a  bite  of  that,  for  you 
must  be  both  hungry  and  thirsty  after  your  long 
journey."  And  he  took  up  the  apple  and  bit  a  piece 
out  of  it.  But  no  sooner  had  he  got  the  piece  of  apple 
in  his  mouth  than  he   forgot  the  Master-maid  and 


190  THE  MASTER-MAID 

that  he  was  to  go  back  in  the  coach  to  fetch  her. 

"  I  think  I  must  be  mad!  what  do  I  want  with  this 
coach  and  horses?"  said  he;  and  then  he  put  the 
horses  back  into  the  stable,  and  went  into  the  King's 
palace,  and  there  it  was  settled  that  he  should  marry 
the  bride's  sister,  who  had  rolled  the  apple  to  him. 

The  Master-maid  sat  by  the  sea-shore  for  a  long, 
long  time,  waiting  for  the  Prince,  but  no  Prince  came. 
So  she  went  away,  and  when  she  had  walked  a  short 
distance  she  came  to  a  little  hut  which  stood  all  alone 
in  a  small  wood,  hard  by  the  King's  palace.  She 
entered  it  and  asked  if  she  might  be  allowed  to  stay 
there.  The  hut  belonged  to  an  old  crone,  who  was 
also  an  ill-tempered  and  malicious  troll.  At  first  she 
would  not  let  the  Master-maid  remain  with  her ;  but  at 
last,  after  a  long  time,  by  means  of  good  words  and 
good  payment,  she  obtained  leave.  But  the  hut  was 
as  dirty  and  black  inside  as  a  pigstye,  so  the  Master- 
maid  said  that  she  would  smarten  it  up  a  little,  that  it 
might  look  a  little  more  like  what  other  people's  houses 
looked  inside.  The  old  crone  did  not  like  this  either. 
She  scowled,  and  was  very  cross,  but  the  Master-maid 
did  not  trouble  herself  about  that.  She  took  out  her 
chest  of  gold,  and  flung  a  handful  of  it  or  so  into  the 
fire,  and  the  gold  boiled  up  and  poured  out  over  the 
whole  of  the  hut,  until  every  part  of  it  both  inside  and 
out  was  gilded.  But  when  the  gold  began  to  bubble 
up  the  old  hag  grew  so  terrified  that  she  fled  away  as 
if  the  Evil  One  himself  were  pursuing  her,  and  she  did 
not  remember  to  stoop  down  as  she  went  through  the 
doorway,  and  so  she  split  her  head  and  died.     Next 


THE  MASTER-MAID  191 

morning  the  sheriff  came  travelling  by  there.  He  was 
greatly  astonished  when  he  saw  the  gold  hut  shining 
and  glittering  there  in  the  copse,  and  he  was  still  more 
astonished  when  he  went  in  and  caught  sight  of  the 
beautiful  young  maiden  who  was  sitting  there;  he  fell 
in  love  with  her  at  once,  and  straightway  on  the  spot 
he  begged  her,  both  prettily  and  kindly,  to  marry  him. 

"  Well,  but  have  you  a  great  deal  of  money?  "  said 
the  Master-maid. 

"  Oh !  yes ;  so  far  as  that  is  concerned,  I  am  not  ill 
;.off,"  said  the  sheriff.  So  now  he  had  to  go  home  to 
get  the  money,  and  in  the  evening  he  came  back, 
bringing  with  him  a  bag  with  two  bushels  in  it,  which 
he  set  down  on  the  bench.  Well,  as  he  had  such  a  fine 
lot  of  money,  the  Master-maid  said  she  would  have 
him,  so  they  sat  down  to  talk. 

But  scarcely  had  they  sat  down  together  before  the 
Master-maid  wanted  to  jump  up  again.  "  I  have  for- 
gotten to  see  to  the  fire,"  she  said. 

"  Why  should  you  jump  up  to  do  that?"  said  the 
sheriff ;  "  I  will  do  that !  "  So  he  jumped  up,  and 
went  to  the  chimney  in  one  bound. 

"  Just  tell  me  when  you  have  got  hold  of  the  shovel," 
said  the  Master-maid. 

"  Well,  I  have  hold  of  it  now,"  said  the  sheriff. 

"  Then  may  you  hold  the  shovel,  and  the  shovel  you, 
and  pour  red-hot  coals  over  you,  till  day  dawns,"  said 
the  Master-maid.  So  the  sheriff  had  to  stand  there  the 
whole  night  and  pour  red-hot  coals  over  himself,  and, 
no  matter  how  much  he  cried  and  begged  and  entreated, 
the  red-hot  coals  did  not  grow  the  colder  for  that. 


192  THE  MASTER-MAID 

When  the  day  began  to  dawn,  and  he  had  power  to 
throw  down  the  shovel,  he  did  not  stay  long  where  he 
was,  but  ran  away  as  fast  as  he  possibly  could;  and 
every  one  who  met  him  stared  and  looked  after  him, 
for  he  was  flying  as  if  he  were  mad,  and  he  could  not 
have  looked  worse  if  he  had  been  both  flayed  and 
tanned,  and  every  one  wondered  where  he  had  been, 
but  for  very  shame  he  would  tell  nothing. 

The  next  day  the  attorney  came  riding  by  the  place 
where  the  Master-maid  dwelt.  He  saw  how  brightly 
the  hut  shone  and  gleamed  through  the  wood,  and  he 
too  went  into  it  to  see  who  lived  there,  and  when  he 
entered  and  saw  the  beautiful  young  maiden  he  fell 
even  more  in  love  with  her  than  the  sheriff  had  done, 
and  began  to  woo  her  at  once.  So  the  Master-maid 
asked  him,  as  she  had  asked  the  sheriff,  if  he  had  a 
great  deal  of  money,  and  the  attorney  said  he  was  not 
ill  off  for  that,  and  would  at  once  go  home  to  get  it; 
and  at  night  he  came  with  a  great  big  sack  of  money  — 
this  time  it  was  a  four-bushel  sack  —  and  set  it  on  the 
bench  by  the  Master-maid.  So  she  promised  to  have 
him,  and  he  sat  down  on  the  bench  by  her  to  arrange 
about  it,  but  suddenly  she  said  that  she  had  forgotten 
to  lock  the  door  of  the  porch  that  night,  and  must  do  it. 

"  Why  should  you  do  that?  "  said  the  attorney;  "  sit 
still,  I  will  do  it." 

So  he  was  on  his  feet  in  a  moment,  and  out  in  the 
porch. 

"  Tell  me  when  you  have  got  hold  of  the  door-latch," 
said  the  Master-maid. 

"  I  have  hold  of  it  now,"  cried  the  attorney. 


THE  MASTER-MAID  193 

"Then  may  you  hold  the  door,  and  the  door  you, 
and  may  you  go  between  wall  and  wall  till  day  dawns." 

What  a  dance  the  attorney  had  that  night !  He  had 
never  had  such  a  waltz  before,  and  he  never  wished 
to  have  such  a  dance  again.  Sometimes  he  was  in 
front  of  the  door,  and  sometimes  the  door  was  in 
front  of  him,  and  it  went  from  one  side  of  the  porch 
to  the  other,  till  the  attorney  was  well-nigh  beaten  to 
death.  At  first  he  began  to  abuse  the  Master-maid, 
and  then  to  beg  and  pray,  but  the  door  did  not  care 
for  anything  but  keeping  him  where  he  was  till  break 
of  day. 

As  soon  as  the  door  let  go  its  hold  of  him,  off  went 
the  attorney.  He  forgot  who  ought  to  be  paid  off  for 
what  he  had  suffered,  he  forgot  both  his  sack  of  money 
and  his  wooing,  for  he  was  so  afraid  lest  the  house-door 
should  come  dancing  after  him.  Every  one  who  met 
him  stared  and  looked  after  him,  for  he  was  flying 
like  a  madman,  and  he  could  not  have  looked  worse 
if  a  herd  of  rams  had  been  butting  at  him  all  night 
long. 

On  the  third  day  the  bailiff  came  by,  and  he  too 
saw  the  gold  house  in  the  little  wood,  and  he  too  felt 
that  he  must  go  and  see  who  lived  there;  and  when 
he  caught  sight  of  the  Master-maid  he  became  so  much 
in  love  with  her  that  he  wooed  her  almost  before  he 
greeted  her. 

The  Master-maid  answered  him  as  she  had  an- 
swered the  other  two,  that  if  he  had  a  great  deal  of 
money  she  would  have  him.  "  So  far  as  that  is  con- 
cerned, I  am  not  ill  off,"  said  the  bailiff;  so  he  was  at 


194 


THE  MASTER-MAID 


once  told  to  go  home  and  fetch  it,  and  this  he  did.  At 
night  he  came  back,  and  he  had  a  still  larger  sack  of 
money  with  him  than  the  attorney  had  brought;  it 
must  have  been  at  least  six  bushels,  and  he  set  it  down 
on  the  bench.  So  it  was  settled  that  he  was  to  have 
the  Master-maid.  But  hardly  had  they  sat  down  to- 
gether before  she  said  that  she  had  forgotten  to  bring 
in  the  calf,  and  must  go  out  to  put  it  .in  the  byre. 


"  No,  indeed,  you  shall  not  do  that,"  said  the  bailiff ; 
"  I  am  the  one  to  do  that."  And,  big  and  fat  as  he 
was,  he  went  out  as  briskly  as  a  boy. 

"  Tell  me  when  you  have  got  hold  of  the  calf's  tail," 
said  the  Master-maid. 

"  I  have  hold  of  it  now,"  cried  the  bailiff. 

"  Then  may  you  hold  the  calf's  tail,  and  the  calf's 
tail  hold  you,  and  may  you  go  round  the  world  to- 
gether till  day  dawns !  "  said  the  Master-maid.     So  the 


THE  MASTER-MAID  195 

bailiff  had  to  bestir  himself,  for  the  calf  went  over 
rough  and  smooth,  over  hill  and  dale,  and,  the  more 
the  bailiff  cried  and  screamed,  the  faster  the  calf  went. 
When  daylight  began  to  appear,  the  bailiff  was  half 
dead;  and  so  glad  was  he  to  leave  loose  of  the  calf's 
tail  that  he  forgot  the  sack  of  money  and  all  else.  He 
walked  now  slowly  —  more  slowly  than  the  sheriff 
and  the  attorney  had  done,  but,  the  slower  he  went, 
tliQ  more  time  had  every  one  to  stare  and  look  at  him ; 
and  they  used  it  too,  and  no  one  can  imagine  how  tired 
out  and  ragged  he  looked  after  his  dance  with  the 
calf. 

On  the  following  day  the  wedding  was  to  take  place 
in  the  King's  palace,  and  the  elder  brother  was  to  drive 
to  church  with  his  bride,  and  the  brother  who  had 
been  with  the  giant  with  her  sister.  But  when  they 
had  seated  themselves  in  the  coach  and  were  about 
to  drive  off  from  the  palace  one  of  the  trace-pins  broke, 
and,  though  they  made  one,  two,  and  three  to  put  in 
its  place,  that  did  not  help  them,  for  each  broke  in 
turn,  no  matter  what  kind  of  wood  they  used  to  make 
them  of.  This  went  on  for  a  long  time,  and  they 
could  not  get  away  from  the  palace,  so  they  were  all 
in  great  trouble.  Then  the  sheriff  said  (for  he  too 
had  been  bidden  to  the  wedding  at  Court)  :  "  Yonder 
away  in  the  thicket  dwells  a  maiden,  and  if  you  can 
but  get  her  to  lend  you  the  handle  of  the  shovel  that 
she  uses  to  make  up  her  fire  I  know  very  well  that 
it  will  hold  fast."  So  they  sent  off  a  messenger  to 
the  thicket,  and  begged  so  prettily  that  they  might  have 


196  THE  MASTER-MAID 

the  loan  of  her  shovel-handle  of  which  the  sheriff  had 
spoken  that  they  were  not  refused ;  so  now  they  had  a 
trace-pin  which  would  not  snap  in  two. 

But  all  at  once,  just  as  they  were  starting,  the  bot- 
tom of  the  coach  fell  in  pieces.  They  made  a  new 
bottom  as  fast  as  they  could,  but,  no  matter  how  they 
nailed  it  together,  or  what  kind  of  wood  they  used, 
no  sooner  had  they  got  the  new  bottom  into  the  coach 
and  were  about  to  drive  off  than  it  broke  again,  so 
that  they  were  still  worse  off  than  when  they  had 
broken  the  trace-pin.  Then  the  attorney  said,  for  he 
too  was  at  the  wedding  in  the  palace :  "  Away  there 
in  the  thicket  dwells  a  maiden,  and  if  you  could  but 
get  her  to  lend  you  one-half  of  her  porch-door  I  am 
certain  that  it  will  hold  together."  So  they  again  sent 
a  messenger  to  the  thicket,  and  begged  so  prettily  for 
the  loan  of  the  gilded  porch-door  of  which  the  attor- 
ney had  told  them  that  they  got  it  at  once.  They  were 
just  setting  out  again,  but  now  the  horses  were  not 
able  to  draw  the  coach.  They  had  six  horses  already, 
and  now  they  put  in  eight,  and  then  ten,  and  then 
twelve,  but  the  more  they  put  in,  and  the  more  the 
coachman  whipped  them,  the  less  good  it  did;  and  the 
coach  never  stirred  from  the  spot.  It  was  already  be- 
ginning to  be  late  in  the  day,  and  to  church  they  must 
and  would  go,  so  every  one  who  was  in  the  palace  was 
in  a  state  of  great  distress.  Then  the  bailiff  spoke  up 
and  said :  "  Out  there  in  the  gilded  cottage  in  the 
thicket  dwells  a  girl,  and  if  you  could  but  get  her  to 
lend  you  her  calf  I  know  it  could  draw  the  coach,  even 
if  it  were  as  heavy  as  a  mountain."     They  all  thought 


THE  MASTER-MAID  197 

that  it  was  ridiculous  to  be  drawn  to  church  by  a  calf, 
but  there  was  nothing  else  for  it  but  to  send  a  messenger 
once  more,  and  beg  as  prettily  as  they  could,  on  behalf 
of  the  King,  that  she  would  let  them  have  the  loan  of 
the  calf  that  the  bailiff  had  told  them  about.  The 
Master-maid  let  them  have  it  immediately  —  this  time 
also  she  would  not  say  "  no." 

!  Then  they  harnessed  the  calf  to  see  if  the  coach 
would  move ;  and  away  it  went,  over  rough  and  smooth, 
pver  stock  and  stone,  so  that  they  could  scarcely 
breathe,  and  sometimes  they  were  on  the  ground,  and 
sometimes  up  in  the  air;  and  when  they  came  to  the 
church  the  coach  began  to  go  round  and  round  like  a 
spining-wheel,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
and  danger  that  they  were  able  to  get  out  of  the  coach 
and  into  the  church.  And  when  they  went  back  again 
the  coach  went  quicker  still,  so  that  most  of  them  did 
not  know  how  they  got  back  to  the  palace  at  all. 

When  they  had  seated  themselves  at  the  table  the 
Prince  who  had  been  in  service  with  the  giant  said  that 
he  thought  they  ought  to  have  invited  the  maiden  who 
had  lent  them  the  shovel-handle,  and  the  porch-door, 
and  the  calf  up  to  the  palace,  "  for,"  said  he,  "  if  we 
had  not  got  these  three  things,  we  should  never  have 
got  away  from  the  palace." 

The  King  also  thought  that  this  was  both  just  and 
proper,  so  he  sent  five  of  his  best  men  down  to  the 
gilded  hut,  to  greet  the  maiden  courteously  from  the 
King,  and  to  beg  her  to  be  so  good  as  to  come  up  to 
the  palace  to  dinner  at  mid-day. 

"  Greet  the  King,  and  tell  him  that,  if  he  is  too  good 


198 


THE  MASTER-MAID 


to  come  to  me,  I  am  too  good  to  come  to  him,"  replied 
the  Master-maid. 

So  the  King  had  to  go  himself,  and  the  Master-maid 
went  with  him  immediately,  and,  as  the  King  believed 
that  she  was  more  than  she  appeared  to  be,  he  seated 
her  in  the  place  of  honor  by  the  youngest  bridegroom. 
When  they  had  sat  at  table  for  a  short  time,  the  Mas- 
ter-maid took  out  the  cock,  and  the  hen,  and  the  golden 


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apple  which  she  had  brought  away  with  her  from  the 
giant's  house,  and  set  them  on  the  table  in  front  of 
her,  and  instantly  the  cock  and  the  hen  began  to  fight 
with  each  other  for  the  golden  apple. 

"Oh!  look  how  those  two  there  are  fighting  for  the 
golden  apple,"  said  the  King's  son. 

"  Yes,  and  so  did  we  two  fight  to  get  out  that  time 
when  we  were  in  the  mountain,"  said  the  Master-maid. 

So  the  Prince  knew  her  again,  and  you  may  imagine 
how  delighted  he  was.     He  ordered  the  troll-witch  who 


THE  MASTER-MAID  199 

had  rolled  the  apple  to  him  to  be  torn  in  pieces  be- 
tween four-and-twenty  horses,  so  that  not  a  bit  of 
her  was  left,  and  then  for  the  first  time  they  began 
really  to  keep  the  wedding,  and,  weary  as  they  were, 
the  sheriff,  the  attorney,  and  the  bailiff  kept  it  up  too.1 

1  Asbjornsen  and  Moe. 


WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  long,  long  ago,  there  were  two 
brothers,  the  one  rich  and  the  other  poor. 
When  Christmas  Eve  came,  the  poor  one  had  not  a 
bite  in  the  house,  either  of  meat  or  bread ;  so  he  went 
to  his  brother,  and  begged  him,  in  God's  name,  to  give 
him  something  for  Christmas  Day.  It  was  by  no 
means  the  first  time  that  the  brother  had  been  forced 
to  give  something  to  him,  and  he  was  not  better  pleased 
at  being  asked  now  than  he  generally  was. 

"If  you  will  do  what  I  ask  you,  you  shall  have  a 
whole  ham,"  said  he.  The  poor  one  immediately 
thanked  him,  and  promised  this. 

"  Well,  here  is  the  ham,  and  now  you  must  go 
straight  to  Dead  Man's  Hall,"  said  the  rich  brother, 
throwing  the  ham  to  him. 

"  Well,  I  will  do  what  I  have  promised,"  said  the 
other,  and  he  took  the  ham  and  set  off.  He  went  on 
and  on  for  the  livelong  day,  and  at  nightfall  he  came 
to  a  place  where  there  was  a  bright  light. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  this  is  the  place,"  thought  the  man 
with  the  ham. 

An  old  man  with  a  long  white  beard  was  standing 
in  the  outhouse,  chopping  Yule  logs. 

"  Good-evening,"  said  the  man  with  the  ham. 

"  Good-evening  to  you.  Where  are  you  going  at 
this  late  hour?  "  said  the  man. 

200 


WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT 


201 


"  I  am  going  to  Dead  Man's  Hall,  if  only  I  am  in 
the  right  track,"  answered  the  poor  man. 

"  Oh!  yes,  you  are  right  enough,  for  it  is  here,"  said 
the  old  man.  "  When  you  get  inside  they  will  all 
want  to  buy  your  ham,  for  they  don't  get  much  meat 
to  eat  there :  but  you  must  not  sell  it  unless  you  can 


get  the  hand-mill  which  stands  behind  the  door  for  it. 
When  you  come  out  again  I  will  teach  you  how  to 
stop  the  hand-mill,  which  is  useful  for  almost  every- 
thing." 

So  the  man  with  the  ham  thanked  the  other  for  his 
good  advice,  and  rapped  at  the  door. 

When  he  got  in,  everything  happened  just  as  the 
old  man  had  said  it  would:  all  the  people,  great  and 
small,  came  round  him  like  ants  on  an  ant-hill,  and 
each  tried  to  outbid  the  other  for  the  ham. 


202  WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT 

"  By  rights  my  old  woman  and  I  ought  to  have  it 
for  our  Christmas  dinner,  but,  since  you  have  set  your 
hearts  upon  it,  I  must  just  give  it  up  to  you,"  said  the 
man.  "  But,  if  I  sell  it,  I  will  have  the  hand-mill 
which  is  standing  there  behind  the  door." 

At  first  they  would  not  hear  of  this,  and  haggled 
and  bargained  with  the  man,  but  he  stuck  to  what  he 
had  said,  and  the  people  were  forced  to  give  him  the 
hand-mill.  When  the  man  came  out  again  into  the 
yard,  he  asked  the  old  wood-cutter  how  he  was  to 
stop  the  hand-mill,  and  when  he  had  learnt  that  he 
thanked  him  and  set  off  home  with  all  the  speed  he 
could,  but  did  not  get  there  until  after  the  clock  had 
struck  twelve  on  Christmas  Eve. 

"  But  where  in  the  world  have  you  been?  "  said  the 
old  woman.  "  Here  I  have  sat  waiting  hour  after 
hour,  and  have  not  even  two  sticks  to  lay  across  each 
other  under  the  Christmas  porridge-pot." 

"  Oh!  I  could  not  come  before;  I  had  something  of 
importance  to  see  about,  and  a  long  way  to  go,  too ;  but 
now  you  shall  just  see !  "  said  the  man,  and  then  he 
set  the  hand-mill  on  the  table,  and  bade  it  first  grind 
light,  then  a  table-cloth,  and  then  meat,  and  beer,  and 
everything  else  that  was  good  for  a  Christmas  Eve's 
supper;  and  the  mill  ground  all  that  he  ordered. 
"  Bless  me !  "  said  the  old  woman  as  one  thing  after 
another  appeared ;  and  she  wanted  to  know  where  her 
husband  had  got  the  mill  from,  but  he  would  not  tell 
her  that. 

"  Never  mind  where  I  got  it ;  you  can  see  that  it  is  a 
good  one,  and  the  water  that  turns  it  will  never  freeze," 


WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT  203 

said  the  man.  So  he  ground  meat  and  drink,  and  all 
J  kinds  of  good  things,  to  last  all  Christmas-tide,  and  on 
the  third  day  he  invited  all  his  friends  to  come  to  a 
feast. 

Now  when  the  rich  brother  saw  all  that  there  was  at 
the  banquet  and  in  the  house,  he  was  both  vexed  and 
angry,  for  he  grudged  everything  his  brother  had. 
I  On  Christmas  Eve  he  was  so  poor  that  he  came  to 
me  and  begged  for  a  trifle,  for  God's  sake,  and  now 
he  gives  a  feast  as  if  he  were  both  a  count  and  a  king !  " 
thought  he.  "  But,  for  heaven's  sake,  tell  me  where 
you  got  your  riches  from,"  said  he  to  his  brother. 

"  From  behind  the  door,"  said  he  who  owned  the 
mill,  for  he  did  not  choose  to  satisfy  his  brother  on 
that  point ;  but  later  in  the  evening,  when  he  had  taken 
a  drop  too  much,  he  could  not  refrain  from  telling  how 
(he  had  come  by  the  hand-mill.  "  There  you  see  what 
has  brought  me  all  my  wealth! "  said  he,  and  brought 
but  the  mill,  and  made  it  grind  first  one  thing  and 
then  another.  When  the  brother  saw  that  he  insisted 
on  having  the  mill,  and  after  a  great  deal  of  persuasion 
got  it;  but  he  had  to  give  three  hundred  dollars  for 
it,  and  the  poor  brother  was  to  keep  it  till  the  haymak- 
ing was  over,  for  he  thought:  "  If  I  keep  it  as  long 
as  that,  I  can  make  it  grind  meat  and  drink  that  will 
last  many  a  long  year."  During  that  time  you  may 
image  that  the  mill  did  not  grow  rusty,  and  when  hay- 
harvest  came  the  rich  brother  got  it,  but  the  other  had 
taken  good  care  not  to  teach  him  how  to  stop  it.  It 
was  evening  when  the  rich  man  got  the  mill  home,  and 

in  the  morning  he  bade  the  old  woman  go  out  and 
vol.  1  — 15 


204  WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT 

spread  the  hay  after  the  mowers,  and  he  would  attend 
to  the  house  himself  that  day,  he  said. 

So,  when  dinner-time  drew  near,  he  set  the  mill  on 
the  kitchen-table,  and  said :  "  Grind  herrings  and  milk 
pottage,  and  do  it  both  quickly  and  well." 

So  the  mill  began  to  grind  herrings  and  milk  pot- 
tage, and  first  all  the  dishes  and  tubs  were  filled,  and 
then  it  came  out  all  over  the  kitchen-floor.  The  man 
twisted  and  turned  it,  and  did  all  he  could  to  make 
the  mill  stop,  but,  howsoever  he  turned  it  and  screwed 
it,  the  mill  went  on  grinding,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
pottage  rose  so  high  that  the  man  was  like  to  be 
drowned.  So  he  threw  open  the  parlor-door,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  the  mill  had  ground  the  parlor 
full  too,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  and  danger  that  the 
man  could  go  through  the  stream  of  pottage  and  get 
hold  of  the  door-latch.  When  he  got  the  door  open, 
he  did  not  stay  long  in  the  room,  but  ran  out,  and  the 
herrings  and  pottage  came  after  him,  and  it  streamed 
out  over  both  farm  and  field.  Now  the  old  woman, 
who  was  out  spreading  the  hay,  began  to  think  dinner 
was  long  in  coming,  and  said  to  the  women  and  the 
mowers :  "  Though  the  master  does  not  call  us  home, 
we  may  as  well  go.  It  may  be  that  he  finds  he  is  not 
good  at  making  pottage,  and  I  should  do  well  to  help 
him."  So  they  began  to  straggle  homewards,  but 
when  they  had  got  a  little  way  up  the  hill  they  met  the 
herrings  and  pottage  and  bread,  all  pouring  forth  and 
winding  about  one  over  the  other,  and  the  man  himself 
in  front  of  the  flood.  "  Would  to  heaven  that  each  of 
you  had  a  hundred  stomachs !     Take  care  that  you  are 


WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT  205 

not  drowned  in  the  pottage !  "  he  cried  as  he  went  by 
them  as  if  Mischief  were  at  his  heels,  down  to  where 
his  brother  dwelt.  Then  he  begged  him,  for  God's 
sake,  to  take  the  mill  back  again,  and  that  in  an  instant, 
for,  said  he:  "  If  it  grind  one  hour  more  the  whole 
district  will  be  destroyed  by  herrings  and  pottage." 
But  the  brother  would  not  take  it  until  the  other  paid 
him  three  hundred  dollars,  and  that  he  was  obliged  to 
do.  Now  the  poor  brother  had  both  the  money  and 
the  mill  again.  So  it  was  not  long  before  he  had  a 
farmhouse  much  finer  than  that  in  which  his  brother 
lived,  but  the  mill  ground  him  so  much  money  that 
he  covered  it  with  plates  of  gold;  and  the  farmhouse 
lay  close  by  the  sea-shore,  so  it  shone  and  glittered  far 
out  to  sea.  Every  one  who  sailed  by  there  now  had 
to  put  in  to  visit  the  rich  man  in  the  gold  farmhouse, 
and  every  one  wanted  to  see  the  wonderful  mill,  for 
the  report  of  it  spread  far  and  wide,  and  there  was  no 
one  who  had  not  heard  tell  of  it. 

After  a  long,  long  time  came  also  a  skipper  who 
wished  to  see  the  mill.  He  asked  if  it  could  make  salt. 
"  Yes,  it  could  make  salt,"  said  he  who  owned  it,  and 
when  the  skipper  heard  that  he  wished  with  all  his 
might  and  main  to  have  the  mill,  let  it  cost  what  it 
might,  for,  he  thought,  if  he  had  it,  he  would  get  off 
having  to  sail  far  away  over  the  perilous  sea  for 
freights  of  salt.  At  first  the  man  would  not  hear  of 
parting  with  it,  but  the  skipper  begged  and  prayed, 
and  at  last  the  man  sold  it  to  him,  and  got  many,  many 
thousand  dollars  for  it.  When  the  skipper  had  got  the 
mill  on  his  back  he  did  not  long  stay  there,  for  he  was 


206  WHY  THE  SEA  IS  SALT 

so  afraid  that  the  man  should  change  his  mind,  and 
he  had  no  time  to  ask  how  he  was  to  stop  it  grinding, 
but  he  got  on  board  his  ship  as  fast  as  he  could. 

When  he  had  gone  a  little  way  out  to  sea  he  took 
the  mill  on  deck.  "  Grind  salt,  and  grind  both  quickly 
and  well,"  said  the  skipper.  So  the  mill  began  to 
grind  salt,  till  it  spouted  out  like  water,  and  when  the 
skipper  had  got  the  ship  filled  he  wanted  to  stop  the 
mill,  but,  whichsoever  way  he  turned  it,  and  how  much 
soever  he  tried,  it  went  on  grinding,  and  the  heap  of 
salt  grew  higher  and  higher,  until  at  last  the  ship  sank. 
There  lies  the  mill  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  still, 
day  by  day,  it  grinds  on:  and  that  is  why  the  sea  is 
salt.1 

^^Asbjornsen  and  Moe. 


THE  MASTER  CAT;  OR,  PUSS  IN  BOOTS 

THERE  was  a  miller  who  left  no  more  estate  to 
the  three  sons  he  had  than  his  mill,  his  ass,  and 
his  cat.  The  partition  was  soon  made.  Neither  the 
scrivener  nor  attorney  was  sent  for.  They  would  soon 
have  eaten  up  all  the  poor  patrimony.  The  eldest  had 
the  mill,  the  second  the  ass,  and  the  youngest  nothing 
but  the  cat. 

The  poor  young  fellow  was  quite  comfortless  at 
having  so  poor  a  lot. 

"  My  brothers,"  said  he,  "  may  get  their  living  hand- 
somely enough  by  joining  their  stocks  together;  but, 
for  my  part,  when  I  have  eaten  up  my  cat,  and  made 
me  a  muff  of  his  skin,  I  must  die  of  hunger." 

The  Cat,  who  heard  all  this,  but  made  as  if  he  did 
not,  said  to  him  with  a  grave  and  serious  air : 

"  Do  not  thus  afflict  yourself,  my  good  master;  you 
have  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  give  me  a  bag,  and  get 
a  pair  of  boots  made  for  me,  that  I  may  scamper 
through  the  dirt  and  the  brambles,  and  you  shall  see 
that  you  have  not  so  bad  a  portion  of  me  as  you 
imagine." 

The  Cat's  master  did  not  build  very  much  upon 
what  he  said;  he  had,  however,  often  seen  him  play 
a  great  many  cunning  tricks  to  catch  rats  and  mice; 
as  when  he  used  to  hang  by  the  heels,  or  hide  himself 

207 


208 


THE  MASTER  CAT;  OR, 


in  the  meal,  and  make  as  if  he  were  dead;  so  that  he 
did  not  altogether  despair  of  his  affording  him  some 
help  in  his  miserable  condition,  When  the  Cat  had 
what  he  asked  for,  he  booted  himself  very  gallantly, 
and,  putting  his  bag  about  his  neck,  he  held  the  strings 


of  it  in  his  two  fore  paws,  and  went  into  a  warren 
where  was  great  abundance  of  rabbits.  He  put  bran 
and  sow-thistle  into  his  bag,  and,  stretching  out  at 
length,  as  if  he  had  been  dead,  he  waited  for  some 
young  rabbits,  not  yet  acquainted  with  the  deceits  of 
the  world,  to  come  and  rummage  his  bag  for  what  he 
had  put  into  it. 


PUSS  IN  BOOTS  209 

Scarce  was  he  lain  down  but  he  had  what  he  wanted : 
a  rash  and  foolish  young  rabbit 'jumped  into  his  bag, 
and  Monsieur  Puss,  immediately  drawing  close  the 
strings,  took  and  killed  him 'without  pity.  Proud  of 
his  prey,  he  went  with  it  to  the  palace,  and  asked  to 
speak  with  his  Majesty.  He  was  shown  upstairs  into 
the  King's  apartment,  and,  making  a  low  reverence, 
said  to  him : 

"  I  have  brought  you,  sir,  a  rabbit  of  the  warren, 
which  my  noble  Lord,  the  Master  of  Carabas  "  (for 
that  was  the  title  which  Puss  was  pleased  to  give  his 
master)  "  has  commanded  me  to  present  to  your  Maj- 
esty from  him." 

"  Tell  thy  master,"  said  the  King,  "  that  I  thank 
him,  and  that  he  does  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure." 

Another  time  he  went  and  hid  himself  among  some 
standing  corn,  holding  still  his  bag  open ;  and,  when  a 
brace  of  partridges  ran  into  it,  he  drew  the  strings,  and 
so  caught  them  both.  He  went  and  made  a  present  of 
these  to  the  King,  as  he  had  done  before  of  the  rabbit 
which  he  took  in  the  warren.  The  King,  in  like  man- 
ner, received  the  partridges  with  great  pleasure,  and 
ordered  him  some  money,  to  drink. 

The  Cat  continued  for  two  or  three  months  thus  to 
carry  his  Majesty,  from  time  to  time,  game  of  his 
master's  taking.  One  day  in  particular,  when  he  knew 
for  certain  that  he  was  to  take  the  air  along  the  river- 
side, with  his  daughter,  the  most  beautiful  princess  in 
the  world,  he  said  to  his  master : 

"If  you  will  follow  my  advice  your  fortune  is  made. 
You  have  nothing  else  to  do  but  go  and  wash  yourself 


I 


210  THE  MASTER  CAT;  OR, 

in  the  river,  in  that  part  I  shall  show  you,  and  leave 
the  rest  to  me." 

The  Marquis  of  Carabas  did  what  the  Cat  advised 
him  to,  without  knowing  why  or  wherefore.  While 
he  was  washing  the  King  passed  by,  and  the  Cat  began 
to  cry  out : 

"  Help !  help !  My  Lord  Marquis  of  Carabas  is  go- 
ing to  be  drowned.'' 

At  this  noise  the  King  put  his  head  out  of  the  coach- 
window,  and,  finding  it  was  the  Cat  who  had  so  often 
brought  him  such  good  game,  he  commanded  his  guards 
to  run  immediately  to  the  assistance  of  his  Lordship 
the  Marquis  of  Carabas.  While  they  were  drawing 
the  poor  Marquis  out  of  the  river,  the  Cat  came  up  to 
the  coach  and  told  the  King  that,  while  his  master 
was  washing,  there  came  by  some  rogues,  who  went  off 
with  his  clothes,  though  he  had  cried  out :  "  Thieves ! 
thieves !  "  several  times,  as  loud  as  he  could. 

This  cunning  Cat  had  hidden  them  under  a  great 
stone.  The  King  immediately  commanded  the  officers 
of  his  wardrobe  to  run  and  fetch  one  of  his  best  suits 
for  the  Lord  Marquis  of  Carabas. 

The  King  caressed  him  after  a  very  extraordinary 
manner,  and  as  the  fine  clothes  he  had  given  him  ex- 
tremely set  off  his  good  mien  (for  he  was  well  made 
and  very  handsome  in  his  person),  the  King's  daugh- 
ter took  a  secret  inclination  to  him,  and  the  Marquis 
of  Carabas  had  no  sooner  cast  two  or  three  respect- 
ful and  somewhat  tender  glances  but  she  fell  in  love 
with  him  to  distraction.     The  King  would  needs  have 


PUSS  IN  BOOTS 


211 


him  come  into  the  coach  and  take  part  of  the  airing. 
The  Cat,  quite  over- joyed  to  see  his  project  begin  to 
succeed,  marched  on  before,  and,  meeting  with  some 
countrymen,  who  were  mowing  a  meadow,  he  said  to 
them: 

"  Good  people,  you  who  are  mowing,  if  you  do  not 
tell  the  King  that  the  meadow  you  mow  belongs  to 


jO  1 

_J|lk. 

jgM 

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ISlI 

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k.v .,, ,'^OjTi 

^^^SoS^^^^^te 

'11              \       ' 

'ffi7  -  ^     '"3*" 

e'W 

*»»»«          "P 

^^^•'ciiZTj 

'       V's                   •• 

my  Lord  Marquis  of  Carabas,  you  shall  be  chopped 
as  small  as  herbs  for  the  pot." 

The  King  did  not  fail  asking  of  the  mowers  to 
whom  the  meadow  they  were  mowing  belonged. 

"  To  my  Lord  Marquis  of  Carabas,"  answered  they 
altogether,  for  the  Cat's  threats  had  made  them  ter- 
ribly afraid. 

"  You  see,  sir,"  said  the  Marquis,  "  this  is  a  meadow 
which  never  fails  to  yield  a  plentiful  harvest  every 
year." 


212  THE  MASTER  CAT;  OR, 

The  Master  Cat,  who  went  still  on  before,  met  with 
some  reapers,  and  said  to  them : 

"  Good  people,  you  who  are  reaping,  if  you  do  not 
tell  the  King  that  all  this  corn  belongs  to  the  Marquis 
of  Carabas,  you  shall  be  chopped  as  small  as  herbs  for 
the  pot." 

The  King,  who  passed  by  a  moment  after,  would 
needs  know  to  whom*  all  that  corn,  which  he  then  saw, 
did  belong. 

"  To  my  Lord  Marquis  of  Carabas,"  replied  the 
reapers,  and  the  King  was  very  well  pleased  with  it, 
as  well  as  the  Marquis,  whom  he  congratulated  there- 
upon. The  Master  Cat,  who  went  always  before,  said 
the  same  words  to  all  he  met,  and  the  King  was  as- 
tonished at  the  vast  estates  of  my  Lord  Marquis  of 
Carabas. 

Monsieur  Puss  came  at  last  to  a  stately  castle,  the 
master  of  which  was  an  ogre,  the  richest  had  ever 
been  known ;  for  all  the  lands  which  the  King  had  then 
gone  over  belonged  to  this  castle.  The  Cat,  who  had 
taken  care  to  inform  himself  who  this  ogre  was  and 
what  he  could  do,  asked  to  speak  with  him,  saying  he 
could  not  pass  so  near  his  castle  without  having  the 
honor  of  paying  his  respects  to  him. 

The  ogre  received  him  as  civilly  as  an  ogre  could 
do,  and  made  him  sit  down. 

"  I  have  been  assured,"  said  the  Cat,  "  that  you  have 
the  gift  of  being  able  to  change  yourself  into  all  sorts 
of  creatures  you  have  a  mind  to ;  you  can,  for  example, 
transform  yourself  into  a  lion,  or  elephant,  and  the 
like." 


PUSS  IN  BOOTS 


213 


"That  is  true,"  answered  the  ogre  very  briskly; 
"  and  to  convince  you,  you  shall  see  me  now  become  a 
lion." 

Puss  was  so  sadly  terrified  at  the  sight  of  a  lion 
so  near  him  that  he  immediately  got  into  the  gutter, 
not  without  abundance  of  trouble  and  danger,  because 


of  his  boots,  which  were  of  no  use  at  all  to  him  in 
walking  upon  the  tiles.  A  little  while  after,  when 
Puss  saw  that  the  ogre  had  resumed  his  natural  form, 
he  came  down,  and  owned  he  had  been  very  much 
frightened. 

"  I  have  been  moreover  informed,"  said  the  Cat, 
"  but  I  know  not  how  to  believe  it,  that  you  have  also 
the  power  to  take  on  you  the  shape  of  the  smallest 


214 


THE  MASTER  CAT;  OR, 


animals;  for  example,  to  change  yourself  into  a  rat 
or  a  mouse;  but  I  must  own  to  you  I  take  this  to  be 
impossible." 

"Impossible!"  cried  the  ogre;  "  you  shall  see  that 
presently." 


And  at  the  same  time  he  changed  himself  into  a 
mouse,  and  began  to  run  about  the  floor.  Puss  no 
sooner  perceived  this  but  he  fell  upon  him  and  ate  him 

up- 

Meanwhile  the  King,  who  saw,  as  he  passed,  this 
fine  castle  of  the  ogre's,  had  a  mind  to  go  into  it. 
Puss,  who  heard  the  noise  of  his  Majesty's  coach  run- 
ning over  the  draw-bridge,  ran  out,  and  said  to  the 
King: 

"  Your  Majesty  is  welcome  to  this  castle  of  my  Lord 
Marquis  of  Carabas." 


PUSS  IN  BOOTS  215 

"  What !  my  Lord  Marquis,"  cried  the  King,  "  and 
does  this  castle  also  belong  to  you?  There  can  be 
nothing  finer  than  this  court  and  all  the  stately  build- 
ings which  surround  it;  let  us  go  into  it,  if  you  please." 

The  Marquis  gave  his  hand  to  the  Princess,  and 
followed  the  Kfrng,  who  went  first.  They  passed  into 
a  spacious  hall,  where  they  found  a  magnificent  colla- 
tion, which  the  ogre  had  prepared  for  his  friends,  who 
were  that  very  day  to  visit  him,  but  dared  not  to 
enter,  knowing  the  King  was  there.  His  Majesty  was 
perfectly  charmed  with  the  good  qualities  of  my  Lord 
Marquis  of  Carabas,  as  was  his  daughter,  who  had 
fallen  violently  in  love  with  him,  and,  seeing  the  vast 
estate  he  possessed,  said  to  him,  after  having  drunk 
five  or  six  glasses : 

"  It  will  be  owing  to  yourself  only,  my  Lord  Mar- 
quis, if  you  are  not  my  son-in-law." 

The  Marquis,  making  several  low  bows,  accepted 
the  honor  which  his  Majesty  conferred  upon  him,  and 
forthwith,  that  very  same  day,  married  the  Princess. 

Puss  became  a  great  lord,  and  never  ran  after  mice 
any  more  but  only  for  his  diversion.1 

1  Charles  Perrault. 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  poor  laborer  who, 
feeling  that  he  had  not  much  longer  to  live, 
wished  to  divide  his  possessions  between  his  son  and 
daughter,  whom  he  loved  dearly. 

So  he  called  them  to  him,  and  said :  "  Your  mother 
brought  me  as  her  dowry  two  stools  and  a  straw  bed ; 
I  have,  besides,  a  hen,  a  pot  of  pinks,  and  a  silver  ring, 
which  were  given  me  by  a  noble  lady  who  once  lodged 
in  my  poor  cottage.  When  she  went  away  she  said 
to  me: 

"  '  Be  careful  of  my  gifts,  good  man;  see  that  you 
do  not  lose  the  ring  or  forget  to  water  the  pinks.  As 
for  your  daughter,  I  promise  you  that  she  shall  be 
more  beautiful  than  any  one  you  ever  saw  in  your 
life;  call  her  Felicia,  and  when  she  grows  up  give  her 
the  ring  and  the  pot  of  pinks  to  console  her  for  her 
poverty/  Take  them  both  then,  my  dear  child,"  he 
added,  "  and  your  brother  shall  have  everything  else." 

The  two  children  seemed  quite  contented,  and  when 
their  father  died  they  wept  for  him,  and  divided  his 
possessions  as  he  had  told  them.  Felicia  believed  that 
her  brother  loved  her,  but  when  she  sat  down  upon  one 
of  the  stools  he  said  angrily: 

"  Keep  your  pot  of  pinks  and  your  ring,  but  let  my 
things  alone.     I  like  order  in  my  house." 

216 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS     217 

Felicia,  who  was  very  gentle,  said  nothing,  but  stood 
up  crying  quietly;  while  Bruno,  for  that  was  her 
brother's  name,  sat  comfortably  by  the  fire.  Pres- 
ently, when  supper-time  came,  Bruno  had  a  delicious 
egg,  and  he  threw  the  shell  to  Felicia,  saying : 

"  There,  that  is  all  I  can  give  you;  if  you  don't  like 
it,  go  out  and  catch  frogs ;  there  are  plenty  of  them  in 
the  marsh  close  by."  Felicia  did  not  answer,  but  she 
cried  more  bitterly  than  ever,  and  went  away  to  her 
own  little  room.  She 
found  it  filled  with  the 
sweet  scent  of  the 
pinks,  and,  going  up  to 
them,  she  said  sadly: 

"  Beautiful  pinks, 
you  are  so  sweet  and 
so  pretty,  you  are  the 
only  comfort  I  have 
left.  Be  very  sure 
that  I  will  take  care  of 
you,  and  water  you 
well,  and  never  allow 
any  cruel  hand  to  tear 
you  from  your  stems." 

As  she  leant  over 
them  she  noticed  that 
they  were  very  dry. 
So  taking  her  pitcher,  she  ran  off  in  the  clear  moon- 
light to  the  fountain,  which  was  at  some  distance. 
When  she  reached  it  she  sat  down  upon  the  brink  to 
rest,  but  she  had  hardly  done  so  when  she  saw  a  stately 


"; 


218     FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 

lady  coming  towards  her,  surrounded  by  numbers  of 
attendants.  Six  maids  of  honor  carried  her  train, 
and  she  leaned  upon  the  arm  of  another. 

When  they  came  near  the  fountain  a  canopy  was 
spread  for  her,  under  which  was  placed  a  sofa  of  cloth- 
of-gold,  and  presently  a  dainty  supper  was  served,  upon 
a  table  covered  with  dishes  of  gold  and  crystal,  while 
the  wind  in  the  trees  and  the  falling  water  of  the 
fountain  murmured  the  softest  music. 

Felicia  was  hidden  in  the  shade,  too  much  aston- 
ished by  all  she  saw  to  venture  to  move;  but  in  a  few 
moments  the  Queen  said: 

"  I  fancy  I  see  a  shepherdess  near  that  tree ;  bid  her 
come  hither." 

So  Felicia  came  forward  and  saluted  the  Queen 
timidly,  but  with  so  much  grace  that  all  were 
surprised. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  my  pretty  child  ? " 
asked  the  Queen.     "  Are  you  not  afraid  of  robbers?  " 

"  Ah !  madam,"  said  Felicia,  "  a  poor  shepherdess 
who  has  nothing  to  lose  does  not  fear  robbers." 

"You  are  not  very  rich,  then?"  said  the  Queen, 
smiling. 

"  I  am  so  poor,"  answered  Felicia,  "  that  a  pot  of 
pinks  and  a  silver  ring  are  my  only  possessions  in  the 
world." 

"  But  you  have  a  heart,"  said  the  Queen.  "  What 
should  you  say  if  anybody  wanted  to  steal  that?" 

"  I  do  not  know  what  it  is  like  to  lose  one's  heart, 
madam,"  she  replied ;  "  but  I  have  always  heard  that 
without  a  heart  one  cannot  live,  and  if  it  is  broken  one 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS      219 

must  die;  and  in  spite  of  my  poverty  I  should  be  sorry 
not  to  live." 

"  You  are  quite  right  to  take  care  of  your  heart, 
pretty  one,"  said  the  Queen.  "  But  tell  me,  have  you 
supped?  " 

"No,  madam,"  answered  Felicia;  "my  brother  ate 
all  the  supper  there  was." 

Then  the  Queen  ordered  that  a  place  should  be  made 
for  her  at  the  table,  and  herself  loaded  Felicia's  plate 
with  good  things;  but  she  was  too  much  astonished 
to  be  hungry. 

"  I  want  to  know  what  you  were  doing  at  the  foun- 
tain so  late?  "  said  the  Queen  presently. 

"  I  came  to  fetch  a  pitcher  of  water  for  my  pinks, 
madam,"  she  answered,  stooping  to  pick  up  the  pitcher 
which  stood  beside  her ;  but  when  she  showed  it  to  the 
Queen  she  was  amazed  to  see  that  it  had  turned  to 
gold,  all  sparkling  with  great  diamonds,  and  the  water, 
of  which  it  was  full,  was  more  fragrant  than  the  sweet- 
est roses.  She  was  afraid  to  take  it  until  the  Queen 
said: 

"  It  is  yours,  Felicia ;  go  and  water  your  pinks  with 
it,  and  let  it  remind  you  that  the  Queen  of  the  Woods 
is  your  friend." 

The  shepherdess  threw  herself  at  the  Queen's  feet, 
and  thanked  her  humbly  for  her  gracious  words. 

"Ah!  madam,"  she  cried,  "if  I  might  beg  you  to 
stay  here  a  moment  I  would  run  and  fetch  my  pot  of 
pinks  for  you  —  they  could  not  fall  into  better  hands." 

"  Go,  Felicia,"  said  the  Queen,  stroking  her  cheek 
softly ;  "  I  will  wait  here  until  you  come  back." 
vol.  1  — 16 


220     FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 

So  Felicia  took  up  her  pitcher  and  ran  to  her  little 
room,  but  while  she  had  been  away  Bruno  had  gone  in 
and  taken  the  pot  of  pinks,  leaving  a  great  cabbage  in 
its  place.  When  she  saw  the  unlucky  cabbage  Felicia 
was  much  distressed,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do; 
but  at  last  she  ran  back  to  the  fountain,  and,  kneeling 
before  the  Queen,  said : 

"  Madam,  Bruno  has  stolen  my  pot  of  pinks,  so  I 
have  nothing  but  my  silver  ring;  but  I  beg  you  to  ac- 
cept it  as  a  proof  of  my  gratitude." 

"  But  if  I  take  your  ring,  my  pretty  shepherdess," 
said  the  Queen,  "  you  will  have  nothing  left ;  and  what 
will  you  do  then  ?  " 

"Ah!  madam,"  she  answered  simply,  "if  I  have 
your  friendship  I  shall  do  very  well." 

So  the  Queen  took  the  ring  and  put  it  on  her  finger, 
and  mounted  her  chariot,  which  was  made  of  coral 
studded  with  emeralds,  and  drawn  by  six  milk-white 
horses.  And  Felicia  looked  after  her  until  the  wind- 
ing of  the  forest  path  hid  her  from  her  sight,  and  then 
she  went  back  to  the  cottage,  thinking  over  all  the 
wonderful  things  that  had  happened. 

The  first  thing  she  did  when  she  reached  her  room 
was  to  throw  the  cabbage  out  of  the  window. 

But  she  was  very  much  surprised  to  hear  an  odd  little 
voice  cry  out :  "Oh!  I  am  half  killed ! "  and  could 
not  tell  where  it  came  from,  because  cabbages  do  not 
generally  speak. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light,  Felicia,  who  was  very  un- 
happy about  her  pot  of  pinks,  went  out  to  look  for  it, 
and  the  first  thing  she  found  was  the  unfortunate  cab- 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS     221 

bage.  She  gave  it  a  push  with  her  foot,  saying: 
"  What  are  you  doing  here,  and  how  dared  you  put 
yourself  in  the  place  of  my  pot  of  pinks?  " 

"If  I  hadn't  been  carried,"  replied  the  cabbage, 
"  you  may  be  very  sure  that  I  shouldn't  have  thought 
of  going  there." 

It  made  her  shiver  with  fright  to  hear  the  cabbage 
talk,  but  he  went  on: 

"  If  you  will  be  good  enough  to  plant  me  by  my 
comrades  again,  I  can  tell  you  where  your  pinks  are 
at  this  moment  —  hidden  in  Bruno's  bed !  " 

Felicia  was  in  despair  when  she  heard  this,  not 
knowing  how  she  was  to  get  them  back.  But  she  re- 
planted the  cabbage  very  kindly  in  his  old  place,  and, 
as  she  finished  doing  it,  she  saw  Bruno's  hen,  and  said, 
catching  hold  of  it : 

"  Come  here,  horrid  little  creature !  you  shall  suffer 
for  all  the  unkind  things  my  brother  has  done  to  me." 

"  Ah!  shepherdess,"  said  the  hen,  "  don't  kill  me;  I 
am  rather  a  gossip,  and  I  can  tell  you  some  surprising 
things  that  you  will  like  to  hear.  Don't  imagine  that 
you  are  the  daughter  of  the  poor  laborer  who  brought 
you  up;  your  mother  was  a  queen  who  had  six  girls 
already,  and  the  King  threatened  that  unless  she  had  a 
son  who  could  inherit  his  kingdom  she  should  have  her 
head  cut  off. 

"  So  when  the  Queen  had  another  little  daughter 
she  was  quite  frightened,  and  agreed  with  her  sister 
(who  was  a  fairy)  to  exchange  her  for  the  fairy's  little 
son.  Now  the  Queen  had  been  shut  up  in  a  great 
tower  by  the  King's  orders,  and  when  a  great  many 


222      FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 


days  went  by  and  still  she  heard  nothing  from  the 
Fairy  she  made  her  escape  from  the  window  by  means 
of  a  rope  ladder,  taking  her  little  baby  with  her.  After 
wandering  about  until  she  was  half  dead  with  cold  and 
fatigue  she  reached  this  cottage.     I  was  the  laborer's 

wife,  and  was  a  good 
nurse,  and  the  Queen 
gave  you  into  my 
charge,  and  told  me 
all  her  misfortunes, 
and  then  died  before 
she  had  time  to  say 
what  was  to  become 
of  you. 

"  As  I  never  in  all 
my  life  could  keep  a 
secret,  I  could  not 
help  telling  this 
strange  tale  to  my 
neighbors,  and  one 
day  a  beautiful  lady 
came  here,  and  I 
told  it  to  her  also. 
When  I  had  finished  she  touched  me  with  a  wand 
she  held  in  her  hand,  and  instantly  I  became  a  hen, 
and  there  was  an  end  of  my  talking!  I  was  very 
sad,  and  my  husband,  who  was  out  when  it  happened, 
never  knew  what  had  become  of  me.  After  seeking 
me  everywhere  he  believed  that  I  must  have  been 
drowned,  or  eaten  up  by  wild  beasts  in  the  forest. 
That  same  lady  came  here  once  more,  and  commanded 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS     223 

that  you  should  be  called  Felicia,  and  left  the  ring 
and  the  pot  of  pinks  to  be  given  to  you;  and  while 
she  was  in  the  house  twenty-five  of  the  King's  guards 
came  to  search  for  you,  doubtless  meaning  to  kill  you ; 
but  she  muttered  a  few  words,  and  immediately  they 
all  turned  into  cabbages.  It  was  one  of  them  whom 
you  threw  out  of  your  window  yesterday. 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  was  that  he  could  speak  —  I 
have  never  heard  either  of  them  say  a  word  before, 
nor  have  I  been  able  to  do  it  myself  until  now." 

The  Princess  was  greatly  astonished  at  the  hen's 
story,  and  said  kindly :  "  I  am  truly  sorry  for  you, 
my  poor  nurse,  and  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  restore 
you  to  your  real  form.  But  we  must  not  despair;  it 
seems  to  me,  after  what  you  have  told  me,  that  some 
thing  must  be  going  to  happen  soon.  Just  now,  how- 
ever, I  must  go  and  look  for  my  pinks,  which  I  love 
better  than  anything  in  the  world." 

Bruno  had  gone  out  into  the  forest,  never  thinking 
that  Felicia  would  search  in  his  room  for  the  pinks, 
and  she  was  delighted  by  his  unexpected  absence,  and 
thought  to  get  them  back  without  further  trouble. 
But  as  soon  as  she  entered  the  room  she  saw  a  terrible 
army  of  rats,  who  were  guarding  the  straw  bed;  and 
when  she  attempted  to  approach  it  they  sprang  at  her, 
biting  and  scratching  furiously.  Quite  terrified,  she 
drew  back,  crying  out :  "  Oh !  my  dear  pinks,  how 
can  you  stay  here  in  such  bad  company  ?  " 

Then  she  suddenly  bethought  herself  of  the  pitcher 
of  water,  and,  hoping  that  it  might  have  some  magic 
power,  she  ran  to  fetch  it,  and  sprinkled  a  few  drops 


224     FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 

over  the  fierce-looking  swarm  of  rats.  In  a  moment 
not  a  tail  or  a  whisker  was  to  be  seen.  Each  one  had 
made  for  his  hole  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him, 
so  that  the  Princess  could  safely  take  her  pot  of  pinks. 
She  found  them  nearly  dying  for  want  of  water,  and 
hastily  poured  all  that  was  left  in  the  pitcher  upon 
them.  As  she  bent  over  them,  enjoying  their  delicious 
scent,  a  soft  voice,  that  seemed  to  rustle  among  the 
leaves,  said: 

"  Lovely  Felicia,  the  day  has  come  at  last  when  I 
may  have  the  happiness  of  telling  you  how  even  the 
flowers  love  you  and  rejoice  in  your  beauty." 

The  Princess,  quite  overcome  by  the  strangeness  of 
hearing  a  cabbage,  a  hen,  and  a  pink  speak,  and  by  the 
terrible  sight  of  an  army  of  rats,  suddenly  became  very 
pale,  and  fainted  away. 

At  this  moment  in  came  Bruno.  Working  hard  in 
the  heat  had  not  improved  his  temper,  and  when  he 
saw  that  Felicia  had  succeeded  in  finding  her  pinks 
he  was  so  angry  that  he  dragged  her  out  into  the  gar- 
den and  shut  the  door  upon  her.  The  fresh  air  soon 
made  her  open  her  pretty  eyes,  and  there  before  her 
stood  the  Queen  of  the  Woods,  looking  as  charming 
as  ever. 

"  You  have  a  bad  brother,"  she  said;  "  I  saw  how 
cruelly  he  turned  you  out.  Shall  I  punish  him  for 
it?" 

"  Ah !  no,  madam,"  she  said ;  "  I  am  not  angry  with 
him." 

"  But  supposing  he  was  not  your  brother,  after  all, 
what  would  you  say  then?  "  asked  the  Queen. 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS     225 

"  Oh !  but  I  think  he  must  be,"  said  Felicia. 

"  What!  "  said  the  Queen,  "  have  you  not  heard  that 
you  are  a  princess?  " 

"  I  was  told  so  a  little  while  ago,  madam,  but  how 
could  I  believe  it  without  a  single  proof?  " 

"  Ah !  dear  child,"  said  the  Queen,  "  the  way  you 
speak  assures  me  that,  in  spite  of  your  humble  up- 
bringing, you  are  indeed  a  real  princess,  and  I  can 
save  you  from  being  treated  in  such  a  way  again." 

She  was  interrupted  at  this  moment  by  the  arrival 
of  a  very  handsome  young  man.  He  wore  a  coat  of 
green  velvet  fastened  with  emerald  clasps,  and  had  a 
crown  of  pinks  on  his  head.  He  knelt  upon  one  knee 
and  kissed  the  Queen's  hand. 

"  Ah !  "  she  cried,  "  my  pink,  my  dear  son,  what  a 
happiness  to  see  you  restored  to  your  natural  shape  by 
Felicia's  aid ! "  And  she  embraced  him  joyfully. 
Then  turning  to  Felicia  she  said : 

"  Charming  Princess,  I  know  all  the  hen  told  you, 
but  you  cannot  have  heard  that  the  zephyrs,  to  whom 
was  entrusted  the  task  of  carrying  my  son  to  the  tower 
where  the  Queen,  your  mother,  so  anxiously  waited 
for  him,  left  him  instead  in  a  garden  of  flowers,  while 
they  flew  off  to  tell  your  mother.  Whereupon  a  fairy 
with  whom  I  had  quarrelled  changed  him  into  a  pink, 
and  I  could  do  nothing  to  prevent  it. 

"  You  may  imagine  how  angry  I  was,  and  how  I 
tried  to  find  some  means  of  undoing  the  mischief  she 
had  done ;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  I  could  only 
bring  Prince  Pink  to  the  place  where  you  were  being 
brought  up,  hoping  that  when  you  grew  up  he  might 


226      FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 

love  you,  and  by  your  care  be  restored  to  his  natural 
form.  And  you  see  everything  has  come  right,  as  I 
hoped  it  would.  Your  giving  me  the  silver  ring  was 
the  sign  that  the  power  of  the  charm  was  nearly  over, 
and  my  enemy's  last  chance  was  to  frighten  you  with 
her  army  of  rats.  That  she  did  not  succeed  in  doing; 
so  now,  my  dear  Felicia,  if  you  will  be  married  to  my 
son  with  this  silver  ring  your  future  happiness  is  cer- 
tain. Do. you  think  him  handsome  and  amiable  enough 
to  be  willing  to  marry  him?  " 

"  Madam,"  replied  Felicia,  blushing,  "  you  over- 
whelm me  with  your  kindness.  I  know  that  you  are 
my  mother's  sister,  and  that  by  your  art  you  turned 
the  soldiers  who  were  sent  to  kill  me  into  cabbages, 
and  my  nurse  into  a  hen,  and  that  you  do  me  only  too 
much  honor  in  proposing  that  I  shall  marry  your  son. 
How  can  I  explain  to  you  the  cause  of  my  hesitation  ? 
I  feel,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  how  happy  it  would 
make  me  to  be  beloved.  Can  you  indeed  give  me  the 
Prince's  heart? " 

"  It  is  yours  already,  lovely  Princess !  "  he  cried, 
taking  her  hand  in  his ;  "  but  for  the  horrible  enchant- 
ment which  kept  me  silent  I  should  have  told  you  long 
ago  how  dearly  I  love  you." 

This  made  the  Princess  very  happy,  and  the  Queen, 
who  could  not  bear  to  see  her  dressed  like  a  poor 
shepherdess,  touched  her  with  her  wand,  saying : 

"  I  wish  you  to  be  attired  as  befits  your  rank  and 
beauty."  And  immediately  the  Princess's  cotton  dress 
became  a  magnificent  robe  of  silver  brocade  embroid- 
ered with  carbuncles,  and  her  soft  dark  hair  was  en- 


FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS     227 

circled  by  a  crown  of  diamonds,  from  which  floated  a 
clear  white  veil.  With  her  bright  eyes,  and  the  charm- 
ing color  in  her  cheeks,  she  was  altogether  such  a  daz- 
zling sight  that  the  Prince  could  hardly  bear  it. 


"  How  pretty  you  are,  Felicia!  "  he  cried.  "  Don't 
keep  me  in  suspense,  I  entreat  you;  say  that  you  will 
marry  me." 

"  Ah !  "  said  the  Queen,  smiling,  "  I  think  she  will 
not  refuse  now." 

Just  then  Bruno,  who  was  going  back  to  his  work, 


228     FELICIA  AND  THE  POT  OF  PINKS 

came  out  of  the  cottage,  and  thought  he  must  be 
dreaming  when  he  saw  Felicia;  but  she  called  him 
very  kindly,  and  begged  the  Queen  to  take  pity  on 
him. 

"  What !  "  she  said,  "  when  he  was  so  unkind  to 
you?" 

"Ah!  madam,"  said  the  Princess,  "I  am  so  happy 
that  I  should  like  everybody  else  to  be  happy  too." 

The  Queen  kissed  her,  and  said :  "  Well,  to  please 
you,  let  me  see  what  I  can  do  for  this  cross  Bruno." 
And  with  a  wave  of  her  wand  she  turned  the  poor 
little  cottage  into  a  splendid  palace,  full  of  treasures; 
only  the  two  stools  and  the  straw  bed  remained  just 
as  they  were,  to  remind  him  of  his  former  poverty. 
Then  the  Queen  touched  Bruno  himself,  and  made 
him  gentle  and  polite  and  grateful,  and  he  thanked  her 
and  the  Princess  a  thousand  times.  Lastly,  the  Queen 
restored  the  hen  and  the  cabbages  to  their  natural 
forms,  and  left  them  all  very  contented.  The  Prince 
and  Princess  were  married  as  soon  as  possible  with 
great  splendor,  and  lived  happily  ever  after.1 

Fortunee.    Par  Madame  la  Comtesse  d'Aulnoy. 


THE  WHITE  CAT 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  king  who  had  three 
sons,  who  were  all  so  clever  and  brave  that  he 
began  to  be  afraid  that  they  would  want  to  reign  over 
the  kingdom  before  he  was  dead.  Now  the  King, 
though  he  felt  that  he  was  growing  old,  did  not  at  all 
wish  to  give  up  the  government  of  his  kingdom  while 
he  could  still  manage  it  very  well,  so  he  thought  the 
best  way  to  live  in  peace  would  be  to  divert  the  minds 
of  his  sons  by  promises  which  he  could  always  get 
out  of  when  the  time  came  for  keeping  them. 

So  he  sent  for  them  all,  and,  after  speaking  to  them 
kindly,  he  added : 

"  You  will  quite  agree  with  me,  my  dear  children, 
that  my  great  age  makes  it  impossible  for  me  to  look 
after  my  affairs  of  state  as  carefully  as  I  once  did.  I 
begin  to  fear  that  this  may  affect  the  welfare  of  my 
subjects,  therefore  I  wish  that  one  of  you  should  suc- 
ceed to  my  crown ;  but  in  return  for  such  a  gift  as  this 
it  is  only  right  that  you  should  do  something  for  me. 
Now,  as  I  think  of  retiring  into  the  country,  it  seems 
to  me  that  a  pretty,  lively,  faithful  little  dog  would  be 
very  good  company  for  me ;  so,  without  any  regard  for 
your  ages,  I  promise  that  the  one  who  brings  me  the 
most  beautiful  little  dog  shall  succeed  me  at  once." 

The  three  Princes  were  greatly  surprised  by  their 
father's  sudden  fancy  for  a  little  dog,  but  as  it  gave 

229 


230 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


the  two  younger  ones  a  chance  they  would  not  other- 
wise have  had  of  being  king,  and  as  the  eldest  was 
too  polite  to  make  any  objection,  they  accepted  the 
commission  with  pleasure.  They  bade  farewell  to  the 
King,  who  gave  them  presents  of  silver  and  precious 
stones,  and  appointed  to  meet  them  at  the  same  hour, 


in  the  same  place,  after  a  year  had  passed,  to  see  the 
little  dogs  they  had  brought  for  him. 

Then  they  went  together  to  a  castle  which  was  about 
a  league  from  the  city,  accompanied  by  all  their  par- 
ticular friends,  to  whom  they  gave  a  grand  banquet, 
and  the  three  brothers  promised  to  be  friends  always, 
to  share  whatever  good  fortune  befell  them,  and  not 
to  be  parted  by  any  envy  or  jealousy;  and  so  they  set 


THE  WHITE  CAT  231 

out,  agreeing  to  meet  at  the  same  castle  at  the  appointed 
time,  to  present  themselves  before  the  King  together. 
Each  one  took  a  different  road,  and  the  two  eldest  met 
with  many  adventures;  but  it  is  about  the  youngest 
that  you  are  going  to  hear.  He  was  young,  and  gay, 
and  handsome,  and  knew  everything  that  a  prince 
ought  to  know ;  and  as  for  his  courage,  there  was  sim- 
ply no  end  to  it. 

Hardly  a  day  passed  without  his  buying  several  dogs 
—  big  and  little,  greyhounds,  mastiffs,  spaniels,  and 
lapdogs.  As  soon  as  he  had  bought  a  pretty  one  he 
was  sure  to  see  a  still  prettier,  and  then  he  had  to  get 
rid  of  all  the  others  and  buy  that  one,  as,  being  alone, 
he  found  it  impossible  to  take  thirty  or  forty  thousand 
dogs  about  with  him.  He  journeyed  from  day  to  day, 
not  knowing  where  he  was  going,  until  at  last,  just  at 
nightfall,  he  reached  a  great,  gloomy  forest.  He  did 
not  know  his  way,  and,  to  make  matters  worse,  it  be- 
gan to  thunder,  and  the  rain  poured  down.  He  took 
the  first  path  he  could  find,  and  after  walking  for  a 
long  time  he  fancied  he  saw  a  faint  light,  and  began 
to  hope  that  he  was  coming  to  some  cottage  where  he 
might  find  shelter  for  the  night.  At  length,  guided  by 
the  light,  he  reached  the  door  of  the  most  splendid 
castle  he  could  have  imagined.  This  door  was  of  gold 
covered  with  carbuncles,  and  it  was  the  pure  red  light 
which  shone  from  them  that  had  shown  him  the  way 
through  the  forest.  The  walls  were  of  the  finest  porce- 
lain in  all  the  most  delicate  colors,  and  the  Prince  saw 
that  all  the  stories  he  had  ever  read  were  pictured  upon 
them;  but  as  he  was  quite  terribly  wet,  and  the  rain 


232  THE  WHITE  CAT 

still  fell  in  torrents,  he  could  not  stay  to  look  about 
any  more,  but  came  back  to  the  golden  door.  There 
he  saw  a  deer's  foot  hanging  by  a  chain  of  diamonds, 
and  he  began  to  wonder  who  could  live  in  this  magnifi- 
cent castle. 

"  They  must  feel  very  secure  against  robbers,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  What  is  to  hinder  any  one  from 
cutting  off  that  chain  and  digging  out  those  carbuncles, 
and  making  himself  rich  for  life?  " 

He  pulled  the  deer's  foot,  and  immediately  a  silver 
bell  sounded  and  the  door  flew  open,  but  the  Prince 
could  see  nothing  but  numbers  of  hands  in  the  air, 
each  holding  a  torch.  He  was  so  much  surprised  that 
he  stood  quite  still,  until  he  felt  himself  pushed  forward 
by  other  hands,  so  that,  though  he  was  somewhat  un- 
easy, he  'could  not  help  going  on.  With  his  hand  on 
his  sword,  to  be  prepared  for  whatever  might  happen, 
he  entered  a  hall  paved  with  lapis-lazuli,  while  two 
lovely  voices  sang: 

The  hands  you  see  floating  above 

Will  swiftly  your  bidding  obey; 
If  your  heart  dreads  not  conquering  Love, 
In  this  place  you  may  fearlessly  stay. 

The  Prince  could  not  believe  that  any  danger  threat- 
ened him  when  he  was  welcomed  in  this  way,  so, 
guided  by  the  mysterious  hands,  he  went  towards  a 
door  of  coral,  which  opened  of  its  own  accord,  and  he 
found  himself  in  a  vast  hall  of  mother-of-pearl,  out 
of  which  opened  a  number  of  other  rooms,  glittering 


THE  WHITE  CAT  233 

with  thousands  of  lights,  and  full  of  such  beautiful 
pictures  and  precious  things  that  the  Prince  felt  quite 
bewildered.  After  passing  through  sixty  rooms  the 
hands  that  conducted  him  stopped,  and  the  Prince  saw 
a  most  comfortable-looking  arm-chair  drawn  up  close 
to  the  chimney-corner;  at  the  same  moment  the  fire 
lighted  itself,  and  the  pretty,  soft,  clever  hands  took 
off  the  Prince's  wet,  muddy  clothes,  and  presented  him 
with  fresh  ones  made  of  the  richest  stuffs,  all  embroid- 
ered with  gold  and  emeralds.  He  could  not  help  ad- 
miring everything  he  saw,  and  the  deft  way  in  which 
the  hands  waited  on  him,  though  they  sometimes  ap- 
peared so  suddenly  that  they  made  him  jump. 

When  he  was  quite  ready  —  and  I  can  assure  you 
that  he  looked  very  different  from  the  wet  and  weary 
Prince  who  had  stood  outside  in  the  rain,  and  pulled 
the  deer's  foot  —  the  hands  led  him  to  a  splendid  room, 
upon  the  walls  of  which  were  painted  the  histories  of 
Puss  in  Boots  and  a  number  of  other  famous  cats. 
The  table  was  laid  for  supper  with  two  golden  plates, 
and  golden  spoons  and  forks,  and  the  sideboard  was 
covered  with  dishes  and  glasses  of  crystal  set  with  pre- 
cious stones.  The  Prince  was  wondering  who  the 
second  place  could  be  for,  when  suddenly  in  came  about 
a  dozen  cats  carrying  guitars  and  rolls  of  music,  who 
took  their  places  at  one  end  of  the  room,  and  under 
the  direction  of  a  cat  who  beat  time  with  a  roll  of 
paper  began  to  mew  in  every  imaginable  key,  and  to 
draw  their  claws  across  the  strings  of  the  guitars,  mak- 
ing the  strangest  kind  of  music  that  could  be  heard. 


234  THE  WHITE  CAT 

The  Prince  hastily  stopped  up  his  ears,  but  even  then 
the  sight  of  these  comical  musicians  sent  him  into  fits 
of  laughter. 

"  What  funny  thing  shall  I  see  next  ? "  he  said  to 
himself,  and  instantly  the  door  opened,  and  in  came  a 
tiny  figure  covered  by  a  long  black  veil.  It  was  con- 
ducted by  two  cats  wearing  black  mantles  and  carrying 
swords,  and  a  large  party  of  cats  followed,  who 
brought  in  cages  full  of  rats  and  mice. 

The  Prince  was  so  much  astonished  that  he  thought 
he  must  be  dreaming,  but  the  little  figure  came  up  to 
him  and  threw  back  its  veil,  and  he  saw  that  it  was  the 
loveliest  little  white  cat  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  She 
looked  very  young  and  very  sad,  and  in  a  sweet  little 
voice  that  went  straight  to  his  heart  she  said  to  the 
Prince : 

"  King's  son,  you  are  welcome ;  the  Queen  of  the 
Cats  is  glad  to  see  you." 

"  Lady  Cat,"  replied  the  Prince,  "  I  thank  you  for 
receiving  me  so  kindly,  but  surely  you  are  no  ordinary 
pussy-cat?  Indeed,  the  way  you  speak  and  the  mag- 
nificence of  your  castle  prove  it  plainly." 

"  King's  son,"  said  the  White  Cat,  "  I  beg  you  to 
spare  me  these  compliments,  for  I  am  not  used  to  them. 
But  now,"  she  added,  "  let  supper  be  served,  and  let 
the  musicians  be  silent,  as  the  Prince  does  not  under- 
stand what  they  are  saying." 

So  the  mysterious  hands  began  to  bring  in  the  sup- 
per, and  first  they  put  on  the  table  two  dishes,  one  con- 
taining stewed  pigeons  and  the  other  a  fricassee  of 
fat  mice.     The  sight  of  the  latter  made  the  Prince  feel 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


235 


as  if  he  could  not  enjoy  his  supper  at  all ;  but  the  White 
Cat  seeing  this  assured  him  that  the  dishes  intended 
for  him  were  prepared  in  a  separate  kitchen,  and  he 
might  be  quite  certain  that  they  contained  neither  rats 
nor  mice ;  and  the  Prince  felt  so  sure  that  she  would 
not  deceive  him  that  he  had  no  more  hesitation  in 


beginning.  Presently  he  noticed  that  on  the  little 
paw  that  was  next  him  the  White  Cat  wore  a  bracelet 
containing  a  portrait,  and  he  begged  to  be  allowed  to 
look  at  it.  To  his  great  surprise  he  found  it  rep- 
resented an  extremely  handsome  young  man,  who  was 
so  like  himself  that  it  might  have  been  his  own  por- 
trait !  The  White  Cat  sighed  as  he  looked  at  it,  and 
seemed  sadder  than  ever,  and  the  Prince  dared  not  ask 

VOL.   I —  17 


236  THE  WHITE  CAT 

any  questions  for  fear  of  displeasing  her;  so  he  began 
to  talk  about  other  things,  and  found  that  she  was 
interested  in  all  the  subjects  he  cared  for  himself,  and 
seemed  to  know  quite  well  what  was  going  on  in  the 
world.  After  supper  they  went  into  another  room, 
which  was  fitted  up  as  a  theatre,  and  the  cats  acted  and 
danced  for  their  amusement,  and  then  the  White  Cat 
said  good-night  to  him,  and  the  hands  conducted  him 
into  a  room  he  had  not  seen  before,  hung  with  tapestry 
worked  with  butterflies'  wings  of  every  color;  there 
were  mirrors  that  reached  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor, 
and  a  little  white  bed  with  curtains  of  gauze  tied  up 
with  ribbons.  The  Prince  went  to  bed  in  silence,  as 
he  did  not  quite  know  how  to  begin  a  conversation  with 
the  hands  that  waited  on  him,  and  in  the  morning  he 
was  awakened  by  a  noise  and  confusion  outside  his 
window,  and  the  hands  came  and  quickly  dressed  him  in 
hunting  costume.  When  he  looked  out  all  the  cats 
were  assembled  in  the  courtyard,  some  leading  grey- 
hounds, some  blowing  horns,  for  the  White  Cat  was 
going  out  hunting.  The  hands  led  a  wooden  horse  up 
to  the  Prince,  and  seemed  to  expect  him  to  mount  it, 
at  which  he  was  very  indignant ;  but  it  was  no  use  for 
him  to  object,  for  he  speedily  found  himself  upon  its 
back,  and  it  pranced  gaily  off  with  him. 

The  White  Cat  herself  was  riding  a  monkey,  which 
climbed  even  up  to  the  eagles'  nests  when  she  had  a 
fancy  for  the  young  eaglets.  Never  was  there  a 
pleasanter  hunting  party,  and  when  they  returned  to 
the  castle  the  Prince  and  the  White  Cat  supped  to- 
gether as  before,  but  when  they  had  finished  she  offered 

I 


THE  WHITE  CAT  237 

him  a  crystal  goblet,  which  must  have  contained  a 
magic  draught,  for,  as  soon  as  he  had  swallowed  its 
contents,  he  forgot  everything,  even  the  little  dog  that 
he  was  seeking  for  the  Kling,  and  only  thought  how 
happy  he  was  to  be  with  the  White  Cat !  And  so  the 
days  passed,  in  every  kind  of  amusement,  until  the 
year  was  nearly  gone.  The  Prince  had  forgotten  all 
about  meeting  his  brothers :  he  did  not  even  know  what 
country  he  belonged  to ;  but  the  White  Cat  knew  when 
he  ought  to  go  back,  and  one  day  she  said  to  him : 

"  Do  you  know  that  you  have  only  three  days  left 
to  look  for  the  little  dog  for  your  father,  and  your 
brothers  have  found  lovely  ones  ?  " 

Then  the  Prince  suddenly  recovered  his  memory, 
and  cried : 

"  What  can  have  made  me  forget  such  an  important 
thing?  my  whole  fortune  depends  upon  it;  and  even  if 
I  could  in  such  a  short  time  find  a  dog  pretty  enough 
to  gain  me  a  kingdom,  where  should  I  find  a  horse  who 
could  carry  me  all  that  way  in  three  days  ?  "  And  he 
began  to  be  very  vexed.  But  the  White  Cat  said  to 
him :  "  King's  son,  do  not  trouble  yourself ;  I  am  your 
friend,  and  will  make  everything  easy  for  you.  You 
can  still  stay  here  for  a  day,  as  the  good  wooden  horse 
can  take  you  to  your  country  in  twelve  hours." 

"  I  thank  you,  beautiful  Cat,"  said  the  Prince;  "  but 
what  good  will  it  do  me  to  get  back  if  I  have  not  a  dog 
to  take  to  my  father?  " 

"  See  here,"  answered  the  White  Cat,  holding  up  an 
acorn ;  "  there  is  a  prettier  one  in  this  than  in  the 
Dog-star!" 


238  THE  WHITE  CAT 

"Oh!  White  Cat  dear,"  said  the  Prince,  "  how  un- 
kind you  are  to  laugh  at  me  now !  " 

"  Only  listen,"  she  said,  holding  the  acorn  to  his  ear. 

And  inside  it  he  distinctly  heard  a  tiny  voice  say: 
"  Bow-wow!  " 

The  Prince  was  delighted,  for  a  dog  that  can  be  shut 
up  in  an  acorn  must  be  very  small  indeed.  He  wanted 
to  take  it  out  and  look  at  it,  but  the  White  Cat  said  it 
would  be  better  not  to  open  the  acorn  till  he  was  before 
the  King,  in  case  the  tiny  dog  should  be  cold  on  the 
journey.  He  thanked  her  a  thousand  times,  and  said 
good-by  quite  sadly  when  the  time  came  for  him  to  set 
out. 

"  The  days  have  passed  so  quickly  with  you,"  he 
said,  "  I  only  wish  I  could  take  you  with  me  now." 

But  the  White  Cat  shook  her  head  and  sighed  deeply 
in  answer. 

After  all  the  Prince  was  the  first  to  arrive  at  the 
castle  where  he  had  agreed  to  meet  his  brothers,  but 
they  came  soon  after,  and  stared  in  amazement  when 
they  saw  the  wooden  horse  in  the  courtyard  jumping 
like  a  hunter. 

The  Prince  met  them  joyfully,  and  they  began  to  tell 
him  all  their  adventures;  but  he  managed  to  hide 
from  them  what  he  had  been  doing,  and  even  led  them 
to  think  that  a  turnspit  dog  which  he  had  with  him 
was  the  one  he  was  bringing  for  the  King.  Fond  as 
they  all  were  of  one  another,  the  two  eldest  could  not 
help  being  glad  to  think  that  their  dogs  certainly  had 
a  better  chance.  The  next  morning  they  started  in 
the    same    chariot.     The    elder    brothers    carried    in 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


239 


baskets  two  such  tiny,  fragile  dogs  that  they  hardly 
dared  to  touch  them.  As  for  the  turnspit,  he  ran  after 
the  chariot,  and  got  so  covered  with  mud  that  one  could 
hardly  see  what  he  was  like  at  all.  When  they  reached 
the  palace  every  one  crowded  round  to  welcome  them 
as  they  went  into  the  K,ing's  great  hall ;  and  when  the 


two  brothers  presented  their  little  dogs  nobody  could 
decide  which  was  the  prettier.  They  were  already 
arranging  between  themselves  to  share  the  kingdom 
equally,  when  the  youngest  stepped  forward,  drawing 
from  his  pocket  the  acorn  the  White  Cat  had  given  him. 
He  opened  it  quickly,  and  there  upon  a  white  cushion 
they  saw  a  dog  so  small  that  it  could  easily  have  been 


240  THE  WHITE  CAT 

put  through  a  ring.  The  Prince  laid  it  upon  the 
ground,  and  it  got  up  at  once  and  began  to  dance.  The 
King  did  not  know  what  to  say,  for  it  was  impossible 
that  anything  could  be  prettier  than  this  little  creature. 
Nevertheless,  as  he  was  in  no  hurry  to  part  with  his 
crown,  he  told  his  sons  that,  as  they  had  been  so  suc- 
cessful the  first  time,  he  would  ask  them  to  go  once 
again,  and  seek  by  land  and  sea  for  a  piece  of  muslin 
so  fine  that  it  could  be  drawn  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle.  The  brothers  were  not  very  willing  to  set  out 
again,  but  the  two  eldest  consented  because  it  gave  them 
another  chance,  and  they  started  as  before.  The 
youngest  again  mounted  the  wooden  horse,  and  rode 
back  at  full  speed  to  his  beloved  White  Cat.  Every 
door  of  the  castle  stood  wide  open,  and  every  window 
and  turret  was  illuminated,  so  it  looked  more  wonderful 
than  before.  The  hands  hastened  to  meet  him,  and  led 
the  wooden  horse  off  to  the  stable,  while  he  hurried  in 
to  find  the  White  Cat.  She  was  asleep  in  a  little 
basket  on  a  white  satin  cushion,  but  she  very  soon 
started  up  when  she  heard  the  Prince,  and  was  over- 
joyed at  seeing  him  once  more. 

"  How  could  I  hope  that  you  would  come  back  to  me, 
King's  son  ? "  she  said.  And  then  he  stroked  and 
petted  her,  and  told  her  of  his  successful  journey,  and 
how  he  had  come  back  to  ask  her  help,  as  he  believed 
that  it  was  impossible  to  find  what  the  King  demanded. 
The  White  Cat  looked  serious,  and  said  she  must  think 
what  was  to  be  done,  but  that,  luckily,  there  were  some 
cats  in  the  castle  who  could  spin  very  well,  and  if  any- 


THE  WHITE  CAT  241 

body  could  manage  it  they  could,  and  she  would  set 
them  the  task  herself. 

And  then  the  hands  appeared  carrying  torches,  and 
conducted  the  Prince  and  the  White  Cat  to  a  long 
gallery  which  overlooked  the  river,  from  the  windows 
of  which  they  saw  a  magnificent  display  of  fireworks 
of  all  sorts;  after  which  they  had  supper,  which  the 
Prince  liked  even  better  than  the  fireworks,  for  it  was 
very  late,  and  he  was  hungry  after  his  long  ride.  And 
so  the  days  passed  quickly  as  before ;  it  was  impossible 
to  feel  dull  with  the  White  Cat,  and  she  had  quite  a 
talent  for  inventing  new  amusements  —  indeed,  she 
was  cleverer  than  a  cat  has  any  right  to  be.  But 
when  the  Prince  asked  her  how  it  was  that  she  was  so 
wise,  she  only  said : 

"  King's  son,  do  not  ask  me ;  guess  what  you  please. 
I  may  not  tell  you  anything." 

The  Prince  was  so  happy  that  he  did  not  trouble 
himself  at  all  about  the  time,  but  presently  the  White 
Cat  told  him  that  the  year  was  gone,  and  that  he  need 
not  be  at  all  anxious  about  the  piece  of  muslin,  as  they 
had  made  it  very  well. 

"  This  time,"  she  added,  "  I  can  give  you  a  suitable 
escort ;  "  and  on  looking  out  into  the  courtyard  the 
Prince  saw  a  superb  chariot  of  burnished  gold, 
enamelled  in  flame  color  with  a  thousand  different  de- 
vices. It  was  drawn  by  twelve  snow-white  horses, 
harnessed  four  abreast;  their  trappings  were  of  flame- 
colored  velvet,  embroidered  with  diamonds.  A  hun- 
dred chariots  followed,  each  drawn  by  eight  horses, 
and  filled  with  officers  in  splendid  uniforms,  and  a 


242  THE  WHITE  CAT 

thousand  guards  surrounded  the  procession.  "  Go !  " 
said  the  White  Cat,  "  and  when  you  appear  before  the 
King  in  such  state  he  surely  will  not  refuse  you  the 
crown  which  you  deserve.  Take  this  walnut,  but  do 
not  open  it  until  you  are  before  him,  then  you  will  find 
in  it  the  piece  of  stuff  you  asked  me  for." 

"  Lovely  Blanchette,"  said  the  Prince,  "  how  can  I 
thank  you  properly  for  all  your  kindness  to  me  ?  Only 
tell  me  that  you  wish  it,  and  I  will  give  up  forever  all 
thought  of  being  king,  and  will  stay  here  with  you 
always." 

"  King's  son,"  she  replied,  "  it  shows  the  goodness  of 
your  heart  that  you  should  care  so  much  for  a  little 
white  cat,  who  is  good  for  nothing  but  to  catch  mice; 
but  you  must  not  stay." 

So  the  Prince  kissed  her  little  paw  and  set  out.  You 
can  imagine  how  fast  he  travelled  when  I  tell  you  that 
they  reached  the  King's  palace  in  just  half  the  time  it 
had  taken  the  wooden  horse  to  get  there.  This  time 
the  Prince  was  so  late  that  he  did  not  try  to  meet  his 
brothers  at  their  castle,  so  they  thought  he  could  not  be 
coming,  and  were  rather  glad  of  it,  and  displayed  their 
pieces  of  muslin  to  the  King  proudly,  feeling  sure  of 
success.  And  indeed  the  stuff  was  very  fine,  and  would 
go  through  the  eye  of  a  very  large  needle ;  but  the  King, 
who  was  only  too  glad  to  make  a  difficulty,  sent  for  a 
particular  needle,  which  was  kept  among  the  Crown 
jewels,  and  had  such  a  small  eye  that  everybody  saw  at 
once  that  it  was  impossible  that  the  muslin  should  pass 
through  it.  The  Princes  were  angry,  and  were  begin- 
ning to  complain  that  it  was  a  trick,  when  suddenly  the 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


243 


trumpets  sounded  and  the  youngest  Prince  came  in. 
His  father  and  brothers  were  quite  astonished  at  his 
magnificence,  and  after  he  had  greeted  them  he  took 
the  walnut  from  his  pocket  and  opened  it,  fully  ex- 
pecting to  find  the  piece  of  muslin,  but  instead  was  only 
a  hazel-nut.     He  cracked  it,  and  there  lay  a  cherry- 


stone. Everybody  was  looking  on,  and  the  King  was 
chuckling  to  himself  at  the  idea  of  finding  the  piece 
of  muslin  in  a  nutshell. 

However,  the  Prince  cracked  the  cherry-stone,  but 
every  one  laughed  when  he  saw  it  contained  only  its 
own  kernel.  He  opened  that  and  found  a  grain  of 
wheat,  and  in  that  was  a  millet  seed.  Then  he  him- 
self began  to  wonder,  and  muttered  softly: 

"  White  Cat,  White  Cat,  are  you  making  fun  of 
me?" 


244  THE  WHITE  CAT 

In  an  instant  he  felt  a  cat's  claw  give  his  hand  quite 
a  sharp  scratch,  and  hoping  that  it  was  meant  as  an 
encouragement  he  opened  the  millet  seed,  and  drew  out 
of  it  a  piece  of  muslin  four  hundred  ells  long,  woven 
with  the  loveliest  colors  and  most  wonderful  patterns : 
and  when  the  needle  was  brought  it  went  through  the 
eye  six  times  with  the  greatest  ease !  The  King  turned 
pale,  and  the  other  Princes  stood  silent  and  sorrowful, 
for  nobody  could  deny  that  this  was  the  most  mar- 
vellous piece  of  muslin  that  was  to  be  found  in  the 
world. 

Presently  the  King  turned  to  his  sons,  and  said,  with 
a  deep  sigh : 

"  Nothing  could  console  me  more  in  my  old  age  than 
to  realize  your  willingness  to  gratify  my  wishes.  Go 
then  once  more,  and  whoever  at  the  end  of  a  year  can 
bring  back  the  loveliest  princess  shall  be  married  to 
her,  and  shall,  without  further  delay,  receive  the  crown, 
for  my  successor  must  certainly  be  married."  The 
Prince  considered  that  he  had  earned  the  kingdom 
fairly  twice  over,  but  still  he  was  too  well  bred  to  argue 
about  it,  so  he  just  went  back  to  his  gorgeous  chariot, 
and,  surrounded  by  his  escort,  returned  to  the  White 
Cat  faster  than  he  had  come.  This  time  she  was  ex- 
pecting him,  the  path  was  strewn  with  flowers,  and  a 
thousand  braziers  were  burning  scented  woods  which 
perfumed  the  air.  Seated  in  a  gallery  from  which  she 
could  see  his  arrival,  the  White  Cat  waited  for  him. 
"  Well,  King's  son,"  she  said,  "  here  you  are  once  more, 
without  a  crown."  "  Madam,"  said  he,  "  thanks  to 
your  generosity  I  have  earned  one  twice  over;  but  the 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


245 


fact  is  that  my  father  is  so  loth  to  part  with  it  that  it 
would  be  no  pleasure  to  me  to  take  it." 

"  Never  mind,"  she  answered;  "  it's  just  as  well  to 
try  and  deserve  it.  As  you  must  take  back  a  lovely 
princess  with  you  next  time  I  will  be  on  the  look-out 
for  one  for  you.  In  the  meantime  let  us  enjoy  our- 
selves; to-night  I  have  ordered  a  battle  between  my 


cats  and  the  river  rats,  on  purpose  to  amuse  you."  So 
this  year  slipped  away  even  more  pleasantly  than  the 
preceding  ones.  Sometimes  the  Prince  could  not  help 
asking  the  White  Cat  how  it  was  she  could  talk. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  a  fairy,"  he  said.  "  Or  has  some 
enchanter  changed  you  into  a  cat?  " 

But  she  only  gave  him  answers  that  told  him  nothing. 


246  THE  WHITE  CAT 

Days  go  by  so  quickly  when  one  is  very  happy  that  it  is 
certain  the  Prince  would  never  have  thought  of  its  be- 
ing time  to  go  back,  when  one  evening  as  they  sat  to- 
gether the  White  Cat  said  to  him  that  if  he  wanted* to 
take  a  lovely  princess  home  with  him  the  next  day  he 
must  be  prepared  to  do  as  she  told  him. 

"  Take  this  sword,"  she  said,  "  and  cut  off  my 
head!" 

"  I ! "  cried  the  Prince,  "  cut  off  your  head ! 
Blanchette  darling,  how  could  I  do  it?  " 

"  I  entreat  you  to  do  as  I  tell  you,  King's  son,"  she 
replied. 

The  tears  came  into  the  Prince's  eyes  as  he  begged 
her  to  ask  him  anything  but  that  —  to  set  him  any  task 
she  pleased  as  a  proof  of  his  devotion,  but  to  spare  him 
the  grief  of  killing  his  dear  Pussy.  But  nothing  he 
could  say  altered  her  determination,  and  at  last  he 
drew  his  sword,  and  desperately,  with  a  trembling  hand, 
cut  off  the  little  white  head.  But  imagine  his  astonish- 
ment and  delight  when  suddenly  a  lovely  princess  stood 
before  him,  and,  while  he  was  still  speechless  with 
amazement,  the  door  opened  and  a  goodly  company  of 
knights  and  ladies  entered,  each  carrying  a  cat's  skin! 
They  hastened  with  every  sign  of  joy  to  the  Princess, 
kissing  her  hand  and  congratulating  her  on  being  once 
more  restored  to  her  natural  shape.  She  received  them 
graciously,  but  after  a  few  minutes  begged  that  they 
would  leave  her  alone  with  the  Prince,  to  whom  she 
said: 

"  You  see,  Prince,  that  you  were  right  in  supposing 
me  to  be  no  ordinary  cat.     My  father  reigned  over  six 


THE  WHITE  CAT  247 

kingdoms.  The  Queen,  my  mother,  whom  he  loved 
dearly,  had  a  passion  for  travelling  and  exploring,  and 
when  I  was  only  a  few  weeks  old  she  obtained  his  per- 
mission to  visit  a  certain  mountain  of  which  she  had 
heard  many  marvellous  tales,  and  set  out,  taking  with 
her  a  number  of  her  attendants.  On  the  way  they  had 
to  pass  near  an  old  castle  belonging  to  the  fairies.  No- 
body had  ever  been  into  it,  but  it  was  reported  to  be 
full  of  the  most  wonderful  things,  and  my  mother  re- 
membered to  have  heard  that  the  fairies  had  in  their 
garden  such  fruits  as  were  to  be  seen  and  tasted  no- 
where else.  She  began  to  wish  to  try  them  for  herself, 
and  turned  her  steps  in  the  direction  of  the  garden. 
On  arriving  at  the  door,  which  blazed  with  gold  and 
jewels,  she  ordered  her  servants  to  knock  loudly,  but 
it  was  useless ;  it  seemed  as  if  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
castle  must  be  asleep  or  dead.  Now  the  more  difficult 
it  became  to  obtain  the  fruit,  the  more  the  Queen  was 
determined  that  have  it  she  would.  So  she  ordered 
that  they  should  bring  ladders,  and  get  over  the  wall 
into  the  garden ;  but  though  the  wall  did  not  look  very 
high,  and  they  tied  the  ladders  together  to  make  them 
very  long,  it  was  quite  impossible  to  get  to  the  top. 

"  The  Queen  was  in  despair,  but  as  night  was  coming 
on  she  ordered  that  they  should  encamp  just  where 
they  were,  and  went  to  bed  herself,  feeling  quite  ill,  she 
was  so  disappointed.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  she 
was  suddenly  awakened,  and  saw  to  her  surprise  a  tiny, 
ugly  old  woman  seated  by  her  bedside,  who  said  to 
her: 

"  '  I  must  say  that  we  consider  it  somewhat  trouble- 


248  THE  WHITE  CAT 

some  of  your  Majesty  to  insist  upon  tasting  our  fruit; 
but,  to  save  you  any  annoyance,  my  sisters  and  I  will 
consent  to  give  you  as  much  as  you  can  carry  away,  on 
one  condition  —  that  is,  that  you  shall  give  us  your 
little  daughter  to  bring  up  as  our  own.' 

"  *  Ah !  my  dear  madam,'  cried  the  Queen,  '  is  there 
nothing  else  that  you  will  take  for  the  fruit?  I  will 
give  you  my  kingdoms  willingly.' 

"  '  No,'  replied  the  old  fairy,  '  we  will  have  nothing 
but  your  little  daughter.  She  shall  be  as  happy  as  the 
day  is  long,  and  we  will  give  her  everything  that  is 
worth  having  in  fairy-land,  but  you  must  not  see  her 
again  until  she  is  married.' 

"  '  Though  it  is  a  hard  condition,'  said  the  Queen, 
?  I  consent,  for  I  shall  certainly  die  if  I  do  not  taste  the 
fruit,  and  so  I  should  lose  my  little  daughter  either 
way.' 

"  So  the  old  fairy  led  her  into  the  castle,  and,  though 
it  was  still  the  middle  of  the  night,  the  Queen  could 
see  plainly  that  it  was  far  more  beautiful  than  she  had 
been  told,  which  you  can  easily  believe,  Prince,"  said 
the  White  Cat,  "  when  I  tell  you  that  it  was  this  castle 
that  we  are  now  in.  *  Will  you  gather  the  fruit  your- 
self, Queen?  '  said  the  old  fairy,  '  or  shall  I  call  it  to 
come  to  you  ? ' 

"  '  I  beg  you  to  let  me  see  it  come  when  it  is  called,' 
cried  the  Queen ;  '  that  will  be  something  quite  new/ 
The  old  fairy  whistled  twice,  then  she  cried : 

" '  Apricots,  peaches,  nectarines,  cherries,  plums, 
pears,  melons,  grapes,  apples,  oranges,  lemons,  goose- 
berries, strawberries,  raspberries,  come ! ' 


THE  WHITE  CAT  249 

"  And  in  an  instant  they  came  tumbling  in  one  over 
another,  and  yet  they  were  neither  dusty  nor  spoilt,  and 
the  Queen  found  them  quite  as  good  as  she  had  fancied 
them.     You  see  they  grew  upon  fairy  trees. 

"  The  old  fairy  gave  her  golden  baskets  in  which  to 
take  the  fruit  away,  and  it  was  as  much  as  four  hun- 
dred mules  could  carry.  Then  she  reminded  the  Queen 
of  her  agreement,  and  led  her  back  to  the  camp,  and 
next  morning  she  went  back  to  her  kingdom ;  but  before 
she  had  gone  very  far  she  began  to  repent  of  her  bar- 
gain, and  when  the  King  came  out  to  meet  her  she 
looked  so  sad  that  he  guessed  that  something  had 
happened,  and  asked  what  was  the  matter.  At  first 
the  Queen  was  afraid  to  tell  him,  but  when,  as  soon  as 
they  reached  the  palace,  five  frightful  little  dwarfs 
were  sent  by  the  fairies  to  fetch  me,  she  was  obliged 
to  confess  what  she  had  promised.  The  King  was 
very  angry,  and  had  the  Queen  and  myself  shut  up  in 
a  great  tower  and  safely  guarded,  and  drove  the  little 
dwarfs  out  of  his  kingdom;  but  the  fairies  sent  a 
great  dragon  who  ate  up  all  the  people  he  met,  and 
whose  breath  burnt  up  everything  as  he  passed  through 
the  country;  and  at  last,  after  trying  in  vain  to  rid 
himself  of  the  monster,  the  King,  to  save  his  subjects, 
was  obliged  to  consent  that  I  should  be  given  up  to  the 
fairies.  This  time  they  came  themselves  to  fetch 
me,  in  a  chariot  of  pearl  drawn  by  sea-horses,  followed 
by  the  dragon,  who  was  led  with  chains  of  diamonds. 
My  cradle  was  placed  between  the  old  faries,  who 
loaded  me  with  caresses,  and  away  we  whirled  through 
the  air  to  a  tower  which  they  had  built  on  purpose  for 


250 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


me.  There  I  grew  up  surrounded  with  everything 
that  was  beautiful  and  rare,  and  learning  everything 
that  is  ever  taught  to  a  princess,  but  without  any  com- 
panions but  a  parrot  and  a  little  dog,  who  could  both 
talk;  and  receiving  every  day  a  visit  from  one  of  the 
old  fairies,  who  came  mounted  upon  the  dragon.     One 


day,  however,  as  I  sat  at  my  window  I  saw  a  handsome 
young  prince,  who  seemed  to  have  been  hunting  in 
the  forest  which  surrounded  my  prison,  and  who  was 
standing  and  looking  up  at  me.  When  he  saw  that  I 
observed  him  he  saluted  me  with  great  deference.  You 
can  imagine  that  I  was  delighted  to  have  some  one 
new  to  talk  to,  and  in  spite  of  the  height  of  my  window 
our  conversation  was  prolonged  till  night  fell,  then 
my  prince  reluctantly  bade  me  farewell.     But  after  that 


THE  WHITE  CAT  251 

he  came  again  many  times,  and  at  last  I  consented  to 
marry  him,  but  the  question  was  how  I  was  to  escape 
from  my  tower.  The  fairies  always  supplied  me  with 
flax  for  my  spinning,  and  by  great  diligence  I  made 
enough  cord  for  a  ladder  that  would  reach  to  the  foot 
of  the  tower;  but,  alas!  just  as  my  prince  was  helping 
me  to  descend  it,  the  crossest  and  ugliest  of  the  old 
fairies  flew  in.  Before  he  had  time  to  defend  himself 
my  unhappy  lover  was  swallowed  up  by  the  dragon. 
As  for  me,  the  fairies,  furious  at  having  their  plans  de- 
feated, for  they  intended  me  to  marry  the  king  of  the 
dwarfs  and  I  utterly  refused,  changed  me  into  a  white 
cat.  When  they  brought  me  here  I  found  all  the  lords 
and  ladies  of  my  father's  court  awaiting  me  under  the 
same  enchantment,  while  the  people  of  lesser  rank  had 
been  made  invisible,  all  but  their  hands. 

"  As  they  laid  me  under  the  enchantment  the  fairies 
told  me  all  my  history,  for  until  then  I  had  quite  be- 
lieved that  I  was  their  child,  and  warned  me  that  my 
only  chance  of  regaining  my  natural  form  was  to  win 
the  love  of  a  prince  who  resembled  in  every  way  my 
unfortunate  lover." 

"  And  you  have  won  it,  lovely  Princess,"  interrupted 
the  Prince. 

"You  are  indeed  wonderfully  like  him,"  resumed 
the  Princess,  "  in  voice,  in  features,  and  everything : 
and  if  you  really  love  me  all  my  troubles  will  be  at  an 
end." 

"  And  mine  too,"  cried  the  Prince,  throwing  himself 
at  her  feet,  "  if  you  will  consent  to  marry  me." 

"  I  love  you  already  better  than  any  one  in  the 

VOL.  1 — 18 


252 


THE  WHITE  CAT 


world,"  she  said;  "  but  now  it  is  time  to  go  back  to 
your  father,  and  we  shall  hear  what  he  says  about 
it." 

•  So  the  Prince  gave  her  his  hand  and  led  her  out, 
and  they  mounted  the  chariot  together;  it  was  even 
more  splendid  than  before,  and  so  was  the  whole  com- 
pany. Even  the  horses'  shoes  were  of  rubies  with 
diamond  nails,  and  I  suppose  that  is  the  first  time  such 
a  thing  was  ever  seen. 

As  the  Princess  was  as  kind  and  clever  as  she  was 
beautiful,  you  may  imagine  what  a  delightful  journey 
the  Prince  found  it,  for  everything  the  Princess  said 
seemed  to  him  quite  charming. 

When  they  came  near  the  castle  where  the  brothers 
were  to  meet,  the  Princess  got  into  a  chair  carried  by 
four  of  the  guards ;  it  was  hewn  out  of  one  splendid 
crystal,  and  had  silken  curtains,  which  she  drew  round 
her  that  she  might  not  be  seen. 

The  Prince  saw  his  brothers  walking  upon  the  ter- 
race, each  with  a  lovely  princess,  and  they  came  to 
meet  him,  asking  if  he  had  also  found  a  wife.  He 
said  that  he  had  found  something  much  rarer  —  a 
little  white  cat!  At  which  they  laughed  very  much, 
and  asked  him  if  he  was  afraid  of  being  eaten  up  by 
mice  in  the  palace.  And  then  they  set  out  together  for 
the  town.  Each  prince  and  princess  rode  in  a 
splendid  carriage ;  the  horses  were  decked  with  plumes 
of  feathers,  and  glittered  with  gold.  After  them  came 
the  youngest  prince,  and  last  of  all  the  crystal  chair, 
at    which    everybody    looked    with    admiration    and 


THE  PRINCE  S  BRIDE 


THE  WHITE  CAT  253 

curiosity.  When  the  courtiers  saw  them  coming  they 
hastened  to  tell  the  King. 

"  Are  the  ladies  beautiful?  "  he  asked  anxiously. 

And  when  they  answered  that  nobody  had  ever  be- 
fore seen  such  lovely  princesses  he  seemed  quite 
annoyed. 

However,  he  received  them  graciously,  but  found  it 
impossible  to  choose  between  them. 

Then  turning  to  his  youngest  son  he  said : 

"  Have  you  come  back  alone,  after  all?  " 

"  Your  Majesty,"  replied  the  Prince,  "  will  find  in 
that  crystal  chair  a  little  white  cat,  which  has  such  soft 
paws,  and  mews  so  prettily,  that  I  am  sure  you  will 
be  charmed  with  it." 

The  King  smiled,  and  went  to  draw  back  the  curtains 
himself,  but  at  a  touch  from  the  Princess  the  crystal 
shivered  into  a  thousand  splinters,  and  there  she  stood 
in  all  her  beauty;  her  fair  hair  floated  over  her 
shoulders  and  was  crowned  with  flowers,  and  her  softly 
falling  robe  was  of  the  purest  white.  She  saluted  the 
King  gracefully,  while  a  murmur  of  admiration  rose 
from  all  around. 

"  Sire,"  she  said,  "  I  am  not  come  to  deprive  you  of 
the  throne  you  fill  so  worthily.  I  have  already  six 
kingdoms,  permit  me  to  bestow  one  upon  you,  and  upon 
each  of  your  sons.  I  ask  nothing  but  your  friendship, 
and  your  consent  to  my  marriage  with  your  youngest 
son;  we  shall  still  have  three  kingdoms  left  for  our- 
selves." 

The  King  and  all  the  courtiers  could  not  conceal  their 


254  THE  WHITE  CAT 

joy  and  astonishment,  and  the  marriage  of  the  three 
Princes  was  celebrated  at  once.  The  festivities  lasted 
several  months,  and  then  each  king  and  queen  departed 
to  their  own  kingdom  and  lived  happily  ever  after.1 

1  La  Chatte  blanche.     Par  Madame  la  Comtese  d'Aulnoy. 


THE  WATER-LILY.     THE  GOLD-SPINNERS 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  in  a  large  forest,  there  lived 
an  old  woman  and  three  maidens.  They  were 
all  three  beautiful,  but  the  youngest  was  the  fairest. 
Their  hut  was  quite  hidden  by  trees,  and  none  saw 
their  beauty  but  the  sun  by  day,  the  moon  by  night, 
and  the  eyes  of  the  stars.  The  old  woman  kept  the 
girls  hard  at  work,  from  morning  till  night,  spinning 
gold  flax  into  yarn,  and  when  one  distaff  was  empty 
another  was  given  them,  so  they  had  no  rest.  The 
thread  had  to  be  fine  and  even,  and  when  done  was 
locked  up  in  a  secret  chamber  by  the  old  woman,  who 
twice  or  thrice  every  summer  went  a  journey.  Be- 
fore she  went  she  gave  out  work  for  each  day  of  her 
absence,  and  always  returned  in  the  night,  so  that  the 
girls  never  saw  what  she  brought  back  with  her,  neither 
would  she  tell  them  whence  the  gold  flax  came,  nor 
what  it  was  to  be  used  for. 

Now,  when  the  time  came  round  for  the  old  woman 
to  set  out  on  one  of  these  journeys,  she  gave  each 
maiden  work  for  six  days,  with  the  usual  warning: 
I  Children,  don't  let  your  eyes  wander,  and  on  no 
account  speak  to  a  man,  for,  if  you  do,  your  thread 
will  lose  its  brightness,  and  misfortunes  of  all  kinds 
will  follow."  They  laughed  at  this  oft-repeated  cau- 
tion, saying  to  each  other :     "  How  can  our  gold  thread 

255 


256  THE  WATER-LILY. 

lose  its  brightness,  and  have  we  any  chance  of  speak- 
ing to  a  man?  " 

On  the  third  day  after  the  old  woman's  departure 
a  young  prince,  hunting  in  the  forest,  got  separated 
from  his  companions,  and  completely  lost.  Weary  of 
seeking  his  way,  he  flung  himself  down  under  a  tree, 
leaving  his  horse  to  browse  at  will,  and  fell  asleep. 

The  sun  had  set  when  he  awoke  and  began  once 
more  to  try  and  find  his  way  out  of  the  forest.  At 
last  he  perceived  a  narrow  foot-path,  which  he  eagerly 
followed  and  found  that  it  led  him  to  a  small  hut.  The 
maidens,  who  were  sitting  at  the  door  of  their  hut 
for  coolness,  saw  him  approaching,  and  the  two  elder 
were  much  alarmed,  for  they  remembered  the  old 
woman's  warning;  but  the  youngest  said:  "  Never 
before  have  I  seen  any  one  like  him;  let  me  have  one 
look."  They  entreated  her  to  come  in,  but,  seeing  that 
she  would  not,  left  her,  and  the  Prince,  coming  up, 
courteously  greeted  the  maiden,  and  told  her  he  had 
lost  his  way  in  the  forest  and  was  both  hungry  and 
weary.  She  set  food  before  him,  and  was  so  delighted 
with  his  conversation  that  she  forgot  the  old  woman's 
caution,  and  lingered  for  hours.  In  the  meantime  the 
Prince's  companions  sought  him  far  and  wide,  but  to 
no  purpose,  so  they  sent  two  messengers  to  tell  the  sad 
news  to  the  King,  who  immediately  ordered  a  regiment 
of  cavalry  and  one  of  infantry  to  go  and  look  for 
him. 

After  three  days'  search,  they  found  the  hut.  The 
Prince  was  still  sitting  by  the  door  and  had  been  so 
happy  in  the  maiden's   company  that  the  time  had 


THE  GOLD-SPINNERS 


257 


seemed  like  a  single  hour.  Before  leaving  he  prom- 
ised to  return  and  fetch  her  to  his  father's  court, 
where  he  would  make  her  his  bride.  When  he  had 
gone,  she  sat  down  to  her  wheel  to  make  up  for  lost 
time,  but  was  dismayed  to  find  that  her  thread  had 
lost  all  its  brightness.  Her  heart  beat  fast  and  she 
wept  bitterly,   for  she  remembered  the  old  woman's 


warning  and  knew  not  what  misfortune  might  now 
befall  her. 

The  old  woman  returned  in  the  night  and  knew 
by  the  tarnished  thread  what  had  happened  in  her 
absence.  She  was  furiously  angry  and  told  the  maiden 
that  she  had  brought  down  misery  both  on  herself  and 
on  the  Prince.  The  maiden  could  not  rest  for  think- 
ing of  this.  At  last  she  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and 
resolved  to  seek  help  from  the  Prince. 

As  a  child  she  had  learnt  to  understand  the  speech 
of  birds,  and  this  was  now  of  great  use  to  her,  for,  see- 
ing a  raven  pluming  itself  on  a  pine  bough,  she  cried 
softly  to  it :     "  Dear  bird,  cleverest  of  all  birds,  as  well 


258  THE  WATER-LILY. 

as  swiftest  of  wing,  wilt  thou  help  me?  "  "  How  can 
I  help  thee  ?  "  asked  the  raven.  She  answered :  "  Fly- 
away, until  thou  comest  to  a  splendid  town,  where 
stands  a  king's  palace ;  seek  out  the  king's  son  and  tell 
him  that  a  great  misfortune  has  befallen  me."  Then 
she  told  the  raven  how  her  thread  had  lost  its  bright- 
ness, how  terribly  angry  the  old  woman  was,  and  how 
she  feared  some  great  disaster.  The  raven  promised 
faithfully  to  do  her  bidding,  and,  spreading  its  wings, 
flew  away.  The  maiden  now  went  home  and  worked 
hard  all  day  at  winding  up  the  yarn  her  elder  sisters 
had  spun,  for  the  old  woman  would  let  her  spin  no 
longer.  Towards  evening  she  heard  the  raven's 
"  craa,  craa  "  from  the  pine  tree  and  eagerly  hastened 
thither  to  hear  the  answer. 

By  great  good  fortune  the  raven  had  found  a  wind 
wizard's  son  in  the  palace  garden,  who  understood 
the  speech  of  birds,  and  to  him  he  had  entrusted  the 
message.  When  the  Prince  heard  it,  he  was  very  sor- 
rowful, and  took  counsel  with  his  friends  how  to  free 
the  maiden.  Then  he  said  to  the  wind  wizard's  son: 
"  Beg  the  raven  to  fly  quickly  back  to  the  maiden  and 
tell  her  to  be  ready  on  the  ninth  night,  for  then  will 
I  come  and  fetch  her  away."  The  wind  wizard's  son 
did  this,  and  the  raven  flew  so  swiftly  that  it  reached 
the  hut  that  same  evening.  The  maiden  thanked  the 
bird  heartily  and  went  home,  telling  no  one  what  she 
had  heard. 

As  the  ninth  night  drew  near  she  became  very  un- 
happy, for  she  feared  lest  some  terrible  mischance 
should  arise  and  ruin  all.     On  the  night  she  crept 


THE  GOLD-SPINNERS  259 

quietly  out  of  the  house  and  waited  trembling  at  some 
little  distance  from  the  hut.  Presently  she  heard  the 
muffled  tramp  of  horses,  and  soon  the  armed  troop  ap- 
peared, led  by  the  Prince,  who  had  prudently  marked 
all  the  trees  beforehand,  in  order  to  know  the  way. 
When  he  saw  the  maiden  he  sprang  from  his  horse, 
lifted  her  into  the  saddle,  and  then,  mounting  behind, 
rode  homewards.  The  moon  shone  so  brightly  that 
they  had  no  difficulty  in  seeing  the  marked  trees. 

By-and-by  the  coming  dawn  loosened  the  tongues 
of  all  the  birds,  and,  had  the  Prince  only  known  what 
,they  were  saying,  or  the  maiden  been  listening,  they 
might  have  been  spared  much  sorrow,  but  they  were 
thinking  only  of  each  other,  and  when  they  came  out 
of  the  forest  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens. 

Next  morning,  when  the  youngest  girl  did  not  come 
to  her  work,  the  old  woman  asked  where  she  was. 
The  sisters  pretended  not  to  know,  but  the  old  woman 
easily  guessed  what  had  happened,  and,  as  she  was  in 
reality  a  wicked  witch,  determined  to  punish  the  fugi- 
tives. Accordingly,  she  collected  nine  different  kinds 
of  enchanters'  nightshade,  added  some  salt,  which  she 
first  bewitched,  and,  doing  all  up  in  a  cloth  into  the 
shape  of  a  fluffy  ball,  sent  it  after  them  on  the  wings 
of  the  wind,  saying: 

Whirlwind !  — mother  of  the  wind! 
Lend  thy  aid  'gainst  her  who  sinned! 
Carry  with  thee  this  magic  ball. 
Cast  her  from  her  arms  forever, 
Bury  her  in  the  rippling  river. 


260  THE  WATER-LILY. 

At  midday  the  Prince  and  his  men  came  to  a  deep 
river,  spanned  by  so  narrow  a  bridge  that  only  one 
rider  could  cross  at  a  time.  The  horse  on  which  the 
Prince  and  the  maiden  were  riding  had  just  reached 
the  middle  when  the  magic  ball  flew  by.  The  horse 
in  its  fright  suddenly  reared,  and  before  any  one  could 
stop  it  flung  the  maiden  into  the  swift  current  below. 
The  Prince  tried  to  jump  in  after  her,  but  his  men 
held  him  back,  and  in  spite  of  his  struggles  led  him 
home,  where  for  six  weeks  he  shut  himself  up  in  a  se- 
cret chamber,  and  would  neither  eat  nor  drink,  so 
great  was  his  grief.  At  last  he  became  so  ill  his  life 
was  despaired  of,  and  in  great  alarm  the  King  caused 
all  the  wizards  of  his  country  to  be  summoned.  But 
none  could  cure  him.  At  last  the  wind  wizard's  son 
said  to  the  King :  "  Send  for  the  old  wizard  from  Fin- 
land, he  knows  more  than  all  the  wizards  of  your  king- 
dom put  together."  A  messenger  was  at  once  sent  to 
Finland,  and  a  week  later  the  old  wizard  himself  ar- 
rived on  the  wings  of  the  wind.  "  Honored  King," 
said  the  wizard,  "  the  wind  has  blown  this  illness  upon 
your  son,  and  a  magic  ball  has  snatched  away  his  be- 
loved. This  it  is  which  makes  him  grieve  so  constantly. 
Let  the  wind  blow  upon  him  that  it  may  blow  away  his 
sorrow."  Then  the  King  made  his  son  go  out  into 
the  wind,  and  he  gradually  recovered  and  told  his 
father  all.  "  Forget  the  maiden,"  said  the  King,  "  and 
take  another  bride;  "  but  the  Prince  said  he  could  never 
love  another, 

A  year  afterwards  he  came  suddenly  upon  the  bridge 
where  his  beloved  had  met  her  death.     As  he  recalled 


THE  GOLD-SPINNERS 


THE  GOLD-SPINNERS  261 

the  misfortune  he  wept  bitterly,  and  would  have  given 
all  he  possessed  to  have  her  once  more  alive.  In  the 
midst  of  his  grief  he  thought  he  heard  a  voice  singing, 
and  looked  round,  but  could  see  no  one.  Then  he 
heard  the  voice  again,  and  it  said : 

Alas!  bewitched  and  all  forsaken, 
'Tis  I  must  lie  forever  here ! 
My  beloved  no  thought  has  taken 
To  free  his  bride,  that  was  so  dear. 

He  was  greatly  astonished,  sprang  from  his  horse,  and 
looked  everywhere  to  see  if  no  one  were  hidden  under 
the  bridge;  but  no  one  was  there.  Then  he  noticed  a 
yellow  water-lily  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
half  hidden  by  its  broad  leaves;  but  flowers  do  not 
sing,  and  in  great  surprise  he  waited,  hoping  to  hear 
more.     Then  again  the  voice  sang : 

Alas!  bewitched  and  all  forsaken, 
'Tis  I  must  lie  forever  here! 
My  beloved  no  thought  has  taken 
To  free  his  bride,  that  was  so  dear. 

The  Prince  suddenly  remembered  the  gold-spinners, 
and  said  to  himself:  "  If  I  ride  thither,  who  knows 
but  that  they  could  explain  this  to  me?  "  He  at  once 
rode  to  the  hut,  and  found  the  two  maidens  at  the 
fountain.  He  told  them  what  had  befallen  their  sis- 
ter the  year  before,  and  how  he  had  twice  heard  a 
strange  song,  but  yet  could  see  no  singer.  They  said 
that  the  yellow  water-lily  could  be  none  other  than 
their  sister,  who  was  not  dead,  but  transformed  by 


262  THE  WATER-LILY. 

the  magic  ball.  Before  he  went  to  bed,  the  eldest 
made  a  cake  of  magic  herbs,  which  she  gave  him  to 
eat.  In  the  night  he  dreamt  that  he  was  living  in  the 
forest  and  could  understand  all  that  the  birds  said  to 
each  other.  Next  morning  he  told  this  to  the  maidens, 
and  they  said  that  the  charmed  cake  had  caused  it,  and 
advised  him  to  listen  well  to  the  birds,  and  see  what 
they  could  tell  him,  and  when  he  had  recovered  his 
bride  they  begged  him  to  return  and  deliver  them  from 
their  wretched  bondage. 

Having  promised  this,  he  joyfully  returned  home, 
and  as  he  was  riding  through  the  forest  he  could  per- 
fectly understand  all  that  the  birds  said.  He  heard  a 
thrush  say  to  a  magpie  :  "  How  stupid  men  are !  they 
cannot  understand  the  simplest  thing.  It  is  now  quite 
a  year  since  the  maiden  was  transformed  into  a  water- 
lily,  and,  though  she  sings  so  sadly  that  any  one  going 
over  the  bridge  must  hear  her,  yet  no  one  comes  to  her 
aid.  Her  former  bridegroom  rode  over  it  a  few  days 
ago  and  heard  her  singing,  but  was  no  wiser  than  the 
rest." 

"  And  he  is  to  blame  for  all  her  misfortunes,"  added 
the  magpie.  "If  he  heeds  only  the  words  of  men  she 
will  remain  a  flower  forever.  She  were  soon  delivered 
were  the  matter  only  laid  before  the  old  wizard  of 
Finland." 

After  hearing  this,  the  Prince  wondered  how  he 
could  get  a  message  conveyed  to  Finland.  He  heard 
one  swallow  say  to  another :  "  Come,  let  us  fly  to  Fin- 
land :  we  can  build  better  nests  there." 


THE  GOLD-SPINNERS  263 

"  Stop,  kind  friends!  "  cried  the  Prince.  "  Will  ye 
do  something  for  me?  "  The  birds  consented,  and  he 
said:  '  Take  a  thousand  greetings  from  me  to  the 
wizard  of  Finland,  and  ask  him  how  I  may  restore  a 
maiden  transformed  into  a  flower  to  her  own  form." 

The  swallows  flew  away,  and  the  Prince  rode  on  to 
the  bridge.     There  he  waited,  hoping  to  hear  the  song. 
But  he  heard  nothing  but  the  rushing  of  the  water  and 
the  moaning  of  the  wind,  and,  disappointed,  rode  home. 
r  Shortly  after,  he  was  sitting  in  the  garden,  thinking 
that  the  swallows  must  have   forgotten  his  message, 
when  he  saw  an  eagle  flying  above  him.     The  bird 
gradually  descended  until  it  perched  on  a  tree  close  to 
the  Prince  and  said :     "  The  Wizard  of  Finland  greets 
thee  and  bids  me  say  that  thou  mayst  free  the  maiden 
thus :     Go  to  the  river  and  smear  thyself  all  over  with 
mud;  then  say:     '  From  a  man  into  a  crab/  and  thou 
wilt  become  a  crab.     Plunge  boldly  into  the  water, 
swim  as  close  as  thou  canst  to  the  water-lily's  roots,' 
and  loosen  them  from  the  mud  and  reeds.     This  done,' 
fasten  thy  claws  into  the  roots  and  rise  with  them  to 
the  surface.     Let  the  water  flow  all  over  the  flower, 
and  drift  with  the  current  until  thou  comest  to  a  moun- 
tain ash  tree  on  the  left  bank.     There  is  near  it  a 
large  stone.     Stop  there  and  say :     '  From  a  crab  into 
a  man,  from  a  water-lily  into  a  maiden,'  and  ye  will 
both  be  restored  to  your  own  forms." 

Full  of  doubt  and  fear,  the  Prince  let  some  time  pass 
before  he  was  bold  enough  to  attempt  to  rescue  the 
maiden.     Then  a  crow  said  to  him :     "  Why  dost  thou 

VOL.   I  —  19 


264  THE  WATER-LILY. 

hesitate?  The  old  wizard  has  not  told  thee  wrong, 
neither  have  the  birds  deceived  thee;  hasten  and  dry 
the  maiden's  tears." 

"  Nothing  worse  than  death  can  befall  me,"  thought 
the  Prince,  "  and  death  is  better  than  endless  sorrow." 
So  he  mounted  his  horse  and  went  to   the  bridge. 
Again  he  heard  the  water-lily's  lament,  and,  hesitating 
no  longer,  smeared  himself  all  over  with  mud,  and, 
saying:     "  From  a  man  into  a  crab,"  plunged  into  the 
river.     For  one  moment  the  water  hissed  in  his  ears, 
and  then  all  was  silent.     He  swam  up  to  the  plant  and 
began  to  loosen  its  roots,  but  so  firmly  were  they  fixed 
in  the  mud  and  reeds  that  this  took  him  a  long  time/ 
He  then  grasped  them  and  rose  to  the  surface,  letting 
the  water  flow  over  the  flower.     The  current  carried 
them  down  the  stream,  but  nowhere  could  he  see  the 
mountain  ash.     At  last  he  saw  it,  and  close  by  the 
large  stone.     Here  he  stopped  and  said:     "From  a 
crab  into  a  man,  from  a  water-lily  into  a  maiden," 
and  to  his  delight  found  himself  once  more  a  prince, 
and  the  maiden  was  by  his  side.     She  was  ten  times 
more  beautiful  than  before,  and  wore  a  magnificent 
pale  yellow  robe,  sparkling  with  jewels.     She  thanked 
him  for  having  freed  her  from  the  cruel  witch's  power, 
and  willingly  consented  to  marry  him. 

But  when  they  came  to  the  bridge  where  he  had  left 
his  horse  it  was  nowhere  to  be  seen,  for,  though  the 
Prince  thought  he  had  been  a  crab  only  a  few  hours, 
he  had  in  reality  been  under  the  water  for  more  than 
ten  days.  While  they  were  wondering  how  they 
should  reach  his  father's  court,  they  saw  a  splendid 


THE  GOLD-SPINNERS  265 

coach  driven  by  six  gaily  caparisoned  horses  coming 
along  the  bank.  In  this  they  drove  to  the  palace.  The 
King  and  Queen  were  at  church,  weeping  for  their 
son,  whom  they  had  long  mourned  for  dead.  Great 
was  their  delight  and  astonishment  when  the  Prince 
entered,  leading  the  beautiful  maiden  by  the  hand. 
The  wedding  was  at  once  celebrated,  and  there  was 


feasting  and  merry-making  throughout  the  kingdom 
for  six  weeks. 

Some  time  afterwards  the  Prince  and  his  bride  were 
sitting  in  the  garden,  when  a  crow  said  to  them: 
"  Ungrateful  creatures !  Have  ye  forgotten  the  two 
poor  maidens  who  helped  ye  in  your  distress?  Must 
they  spin  gold  flax  forever?  Have  no  pity  on  the  old 
witch.  The  three  maidens  are  princesses,  whom  she 
stole  away  when  they  were  children  together,  with  all 
the  silver  utensils,  which  she  turned  into  gold  flax. 
Poison  were  her  fittest  punishment." 


266  THE  WATER-LILY. 

The  Prince  was  ashamed  of  having  forgotten  his 
promise  and  set  out  at  once,  and  by  great  good  for- 
tune reached  the  hut  when  the  old  woman  was  away. 
The  maidens  had  dreamt  that  he  was  coming,  and 
were  ready  to  go  with  him,  but  first  they  made  a  cake 
in  which  they  put  poison,  and  left  it  on  a  table  where 
the  old  woman  was  likely  to  see  it  when  she  returned. 
She  did  see  it,  and  thought  it  looked  so  tempting  that 
she  greedily  ate  it  up  and  at  once  died. 

In  the  secret  chamber  were  found  fifty  wagon-loads 
of  gold  flax,  and  as  much  more  was  discovered  buried. 
The  hut  was  razed  to  the  ground,  and  the  Prince  and 
his  bride  and  her  two  sisters  lived  happily  ever  after. 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  king  whose  only 
child  was  a  girl. 
Now  the  King  had  been  very  anxious  to  have  a  son, 
or  at  least  a  grandson,  to  come  after  him,  but  he  was 
told  by  a  prophet  whom  he  consulted  that  his  own 
daughter's  son  should  kill  him.  This  news  terrified 
him  so  much  that  he  determined  never  to  let  his  daugh- 
ter  be  married,  for  he  thought  it  was  better  to  have 
no  grandson  at  all  than  to  be  killed  by  his  grandson. 
He  therefore  called  his  workmen  together,  and  bade 
them  dig  a  deep  round  hole  in  the  earth,  and  then  he 
had  a  prison  of  brass  built  in  the  hole,  and  then,  when 
it  was  finished,  he  locked  up  his  daughter.  No  man 
ever  saw  her,  and  she  never  saw  even  the  fields  and 
the  sea,  but  only  the  sky  and  the  sun,  for  there  was 
a  wide  open  window  in  the  roof  of  the  house  of  brass. 
So  the  Princess  would  sit  looking  up  at  the  sky,  and 
watching  the  clouds  float  across,  and  wondering 
whether  she  should  ever  get  out  of  her  prison.  Now 
one  day  it  seemed  to  her  that  the  sky  opened  above 
her,  and  a  great  shower  of  shining  gold  fell  through 
the  window  in  the  roof,  and  lay  glittering  in  her  room. 
Not  very  long  after,  the  princess  had  a  baby,  a  little 
boy,  but  when  the  King  her  father  heard  of  it  he  was 
very  angry  and  afraid,  for  now  the  child  was  born 
that  should  be  his  death.     Yet,  cowardly  as  he  was, 

267 


268  THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 

he  had  not  quite  the  heart  to  kill  the  Princess  and  her 
baby  outright,  but  he  had  them  put  in  a  huge  brass- 
bound  chest  and  thrust  out  to  sea,  that  they  might  either 
be  drowned  or  starved,  or  perhaps  come  to  a  country 
where  they  would  be  out  of  his  way. 

So  the  Princess  and  the  baby  floated  and  drifted 
in  the  chest  on  .the  sea  all  day  and  all  night,  but  the 
baby  was  not  afraid  of  the  waves  nor  of  the  wind,  for 
he  did  not  know  that  they  could  hurt  him,  and  he  slept 
quite  soundly.  And  the  Princess  sang  a  song  over 
him,  and  this  was  her  song : 

Child,  my  child,  how  sound  you  sleep! 
Though  your  mother's  care  is  deep, 
You  can  lie  with  heart  at  rest 
In  the  narrow  brass-bound  chest; 
In  the  starless  night  and  drear 
You  can  sleep,  and  never  hear 
Billows  breaking,  and  the  cry 
Of  the  night-wind  wandering  by; 
In  soft  purple  mantle  sleeping 

With  your  little  face  on  mine, 
Hearing  not  your  mother  weeping 

And  the  breaking  of  the  brine. 

Well,  the  daylight  came  at  last,  and  the  great  chest 
was  driven  by  the  waves  against  the  shore  of  an 
island.  There  the  brass-bound  chest  lay,  with  the 
Princess  and  her  baby  in  it,  till  a  man  of  that  country 
came  past,  and  saw  it,  and  dragged  it  on  to  the  beach, 
and  when  he  had  broken  it  open,  behold !  there  was  a 
beautiful  lady  and  a  little  boy.  So  he  took  them  home, 
and  was  very  kind  to  them,  and  brought  up  the  boy 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD  269 

till  he  was  a  young  man.  Now  when  the  boy  had 
come  to  his  full  strength  the  King  of  that  country 
fell  in  love  with  his  mother,  and  wanted  to  marry  her, 
but  he  knew  that  she  would  never  part  from  her  boy. 
So  he  thought  of  a  plan  to  get  rid  of  the  boy,  and  this 
was  his  plan.  A  great  queen  of  a  country  not  far  off 
was  going  to  be  married,  and  this  king  said  that  all  his 
subjects  must  bring  him  wedding  presents  to  give  her. 
And  he  made  a  feast  to  which  he  invited  them  all,  and 
they  all  brought  their  presents;  some  brought  gold 
cups,  and  some  brought  necklaces  of  gold  and  amber, 
and  some  brought  beautiful  horses;  but  the  boy  had 
nothing,  though  he  was  the  son  of  a  princess,  for  his 
mother  had  nothing  to  give  him.  Then  the  rest  of  the 
company  began  to  laugh  at  him,  and  the  King  said: 
"If  you  have  nothing  else  to  give,  at  least  you  might 
go  and  fetch  the  Terrible  Head." 

The  boy  was  proud,  and  spoke  without  thinking : 
"  Then  I  swear  that  I  will  bring  the  Terrible  Head, 
if  it  may  be  brought  by  a  living  man.     But  of  what 
head  you  speak  I  know  not." 

Then  they  told  him  that  somewhere,  a  long  way  off, 
there  dwelt  three  dreadful  sisters,  monstrous  ogrish 
women,  with  golden  wings  and  claws  of  brass,  and 
with  serpents  growing  on  their  heads  instead  of  hair. 
Now  these  women  were  so  awful  to  look  on  that  who- 
ever saw  them  was  turned  at  once  into  stone.  And 
two  of  them  could  not  be  put  to  death,  but  the  youngest, 
whose  face  was  very  beautiful,  could  be  killed,  and  it 
was  her  head  that  the  boy  had  promised  to  bring. 
You  may  imagine  it  was  no  easy  adventure. 


270 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 


When  he  heard  all  this  he  was  perhaps  sorry  that  he 
had  sworn  to  bring  the  Terrible  Head,  but  he  was  de- 
termined to  keep  his  oath.     So  he  went  out  from  the 


feast,  where  they  all  sat  drinking  and  making  merry, 
and  he  walked  alone  beside  the  sea  in  the  dusk  of  the 
evening,  at  the  place  where  the  great  chest,  with  him- 
self and  his  mother  in  it,  had  been  cast  ashore. 

There  he  went  and  sat  down  on  a  rock,  looking  to- 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 


271 


wards  the  sea,  and  wondering  how  he  should  begin  to 
fulfil  his  vow.  Then  he  felt  some  one  touch  him  on 
the  shoulder;  and  he  turned,  and  saw  a  young  man 
like  a  king's  son,  having  with  him  a  tall  and  beautiful 
lady,  whose  blue  eyes  shone  like  stars.  They  were 
taller  than  mortal  men,  and  the  young  man  had  a  staff 
in  his  hand  with  golden  wings  on  it,  and  two  golden 
serpents  twisted  round  it,  and  he  had  wings  on  his  cap 
and  on  his  shoes.  He  spoke  to  the  boy,  and  asked  him 
why  he  was  so  unhappy ;  and  the  boy  told  him  how  he 
had  sworn  to  bring  the  Terrible  Head,  and  knew  not 
how  to  begin  to  set  about  the  adventure. 

Then  the  beautiful  lady  also  spoke,  and  said  that 
"  it  was  a  foolish  oath  and  a  hasty,  but  it  might  be  kept 
if  a  brave  man  had  sworn  it."  Then  the  boy  answered 
that  he  was  not  afraid,  if  only  he  knew  the  way. 

Then  the  lady  said  that  to  kill  the  dreadful  woman 
with  the  golden  wings  and  the  brass  claws,  and  to  cut 
off  her  head,  he  needed  three  things:  first,  a  Cap  of 
Darkness,  which  would  make  him  invisible  when  he 
wore  it;  next,  a  Sword  of  Sharpness,  which  would 
cleave  iron  at  one  blow ;  and  last,  the  Shoes  of  Swift- 
ness, with  which  he  might  fly  in  the  air. 

The  boy  answered  that  he  knew  not  where  such 
things  were  to  be  procured,  and  that,  wanting  them, 
he  could  only  try  and  fail.  Then  the  young  man,  tak- 
ing off  his  own  shoes,  said:  "  First,  you  shall  use 
these  shoes  till  you  have  taken  the  Terrible  Head,  and 
then  you  must  give  them  back  to  me.  And  with  these 
shoes  you  will  fly  as  fleet  as  a  bird,  or  a  thought,  over 
the  land  or  over  the  waves  of  the  sea,  wherever  the 


272  THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 

shoes  know  the  way.  But  there  are  ways  which  they 
do  not  know,  roads  beyond  the  borders  of  the  world. 
And  these  roads  have  you  to  travel.  Now  first  you 
must  go  to  the  Three  Gray  Sisters,  who  live  far  off  in 
the  north,  and  are  so  very  old  that  they  have  only  one 
eye  and  one  tooth  among  the  three.  You  must  creep 
up  close  to  them,  and  as  one  of  them  passes  the  eye 
to  the  other  you  must  seize  it,  and  refuse  to  give  it  up 
till  they  have  told  you  the  way  to  the  Three  Fairies  of 
the  Garden,  and  they  will  give  you  the  Cap  of  Dark- 
ness and  the  Sword  of  Sharpness,  and  show  you  how 
to  wing  beyond  this  world  to  the  land  of  the  Terrible 
Head." 

Then  the  beautiful  lady  said:  "  Go  forth  at  once, 
and  do  not  return  to  say  good-by  to  your  mother,  for 
these  things  must  be  done  quickly,  and  the  Shoes  of 
Swiftness  themselves  will  carry  you  to  the  land  of  the 
Three  Gray  Sisters  —  for  they  know  the  measure  of 
that  way." 

So  the  boy  thanked  her,  and  he  fastened  on  the 
Shoes  of  Swiftness,  and  turned  to  say  good-by  to  the 
young  man  and  the  lady.  But,  behold !  they  had  van- 
ished, he  knew  not  how  or  where !  Then  he  leaped  in 
the  air  to  try  the  Shoes  of  Swiftness,  and  they  carried 
him  more  swiftly  than  the  wind,  over  the  warm  blue 
sea,  over  the  happy  lands  of  the  south,  over  the  north- 
ern peoples  who  drank  mare's  milk  and  lived  in  great 
waggons,  wandering  after  their  flocks.  Across  the 
wide  rivers,  where  the  wild  fowl  rose  and  fled  before 
him,  and  over  the  plains  and  the  cold  North  Sea  he 
went,  over  the  fields  of  snow,  and  the  hills  of  ice,  to  a 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD  273 

place  where  the  world  ends,  and  all  water  is  frozen, 
and  there  are  no  men,  nor  beasts,  nor  any  green  grass. 
There  in  a  blue  cave  of  the  ice  he  found  the  Three 
Gray  Sisters,  the  oldest  of  living  things.  Their  hair 
was  as  white  as  the  snow,  and  their  flesh  of  an  icy 
bluer,   and  they  mumbled   and  nodded  in   a   kind   of 


dream,  and  their  frozen  breath  hung  round  them  like 
a  cloud.  Now  the  opening  of  the  cave  in  the  ice  was 
narrow,  and  it  was  not  easy  to  pass  in  without  touch- 
ing one  of  the  Gray  Sisters.  But,  floating  on  the  Shoes 
of  Swiftness,  the  boy  just  managed  to  steal  in,  and 
waited  till  one  of  the  sisters  said  to  another,  who  had 
their  one  eye : 

"  Sister,  what  do  you  see  ?  do  you  see  old  times  com- 
ing back  ?  " 

"  No,  sister." 


274  THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 

"  Then  give  me  the  eye,  for  perhaps  I  can  see  farther 
than  you." 

Then  the  first  sister  passed  the  eye  to  the  second,  but 
as  the  second  groped  for  it  the  boy  caught  it  cleverly 
out  of  her  hand. 

"Where  is  the  eye,  sister?"  said  the  second  gray 
woman. 

"  You  have  taken  it  yourself,  sister,"  said  the  first 
gray  woman. 

"Have  you  lost  the  eye,  sister?  have  you  lost  the 
eye?"  said  the  third  gray  woman;  "shall  we  never 
find  it  again,  and  see  old  times  coming  back  ?  " 

Then  the  boy  slipped  from  behind  them  out  of  the 
cold  cave  into  the  air,  and  he  laughed  aloud. 

When  the  gray  women  heard  that  laugh  they  began 
to  weep,  for  now  they  knew  that  a  stranger  had  robbed 
them,  and  that  they  could  not  help  themselves,  and 
their  tears  froze  as  they  fell  from  the  hollows  where 
no  eyes  were,  and  rattled  on  the  icy  ground  of  the  cave. 
Then  they  began  to  implore  the  boy  to  give  them  their 
eye  back  again,  and  he  could  not  help  being  sorry  for 
them,  they  were  so  pitiful.  But  he  said  he  would  never 
give  them  the  eye  till  they  told  him  the  way  to  the 
Fairies  of  the  Garden. 

Then  they  wrung  their  hands  miserably,  for  they 
guessed  why  he  had  come,  and  how  he  was  going  to  try 
to  win  the  Terrible  Head.  Now  the  Dreadful  Women 
were  akin  to  the  Three  Gray  Sisters,  and  it  was  hard 
for  them  to  tell  the  boy  the  way.  But  at  last  they  told 
him  to  keep  always  south,  and  with  the  land  on  his 
left  and  the  sea  on  his  right,  till  he  reached  the  Island 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD  275 

of  the  Fairies  of  the  Garden.  Then  he  gave  them 
back  the  eye,  and  they  began  to  look  out  once  more  for 
the  old  times  coming  back  again.  But  the  boy  flew 
south  between  sea  and  land,  keeping  the  land  always 
on  his  left  hand,  till  he  saw  a  beautiful  island  crowned 
with  flowering  trees.  There  he  alighted,  and  there  he 
found  the  Three  Fairies  of  the  Garden.  They  were 
like  three  very  beautiful  young  women,  dressed  one  in 
green,  one  in  white,  and  one  in  red,  and  they  were 
dancing  and  singing  round  an  apple  tree  with  apples  of 
gold,  and  this  was  their  song: 

THE  SONG  OF  THE  WESTERN  FAIRIES 

Round  and  round  the  apples  of  gold, 

Round  and  round  dance  we; 
Thus  do  we  dance  from  the  days  of  old 

About  the  enchanted  tree; 
Round,  and  round,  and  round  we  go, 
While  the  spring  is  green,  or  the  stream  shall  How, 

Or  the  wind  shall  stir  the  sea! 
There  is  none  may  taste  of  the  golden  fruit 

Till  the  golden  new  times  come; 
Many  a  tree  shall  spring  from  shoot, 
Many  a  blossom  be  withered  at  root, 

Many  a  song  be  dumb; 
Broken  and  still  shall  be  many  a  lute 

Or  ever  the  new  times  come! 
Rouna  and  round  the  tree  of  gold, 

Round  and  round  dance  we, 
So  doth  the  great  zvorld  spin  from  of  old, 
Summer  and  winter,  and  fire  and  cold, 
Song  that  is  sung,  and  tale  that  is  told, 
Even  as  we  dance,  that  fold  and  unfold 

Round  the  stem  of  the  fairy  tree! 


276 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 


These  grave  dancing  fairies  were  very  unlike  the 
Gray  Women,  and  they  were  glad  to  see  the  boy,  and 
treated  him  kindly.  Then  they  asked  him  why  he  had 
come;  and  he  told  them  how  he  was  sent  to  find  the 
Sword  of  Sharpness  and  the  Cap  of  Darkness.     And 


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fESmER1 'ifflv     Si 

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X^JeH 

Wv-*&<]Wr 

Cw^   « 

W**Wk\ 

zmr^UB^fS 

My  Mm 

Wk     ^^"^kiT        Mil// 

wmM 

JflJMvv 

mm 

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*^|JK^I 

m 

the  fairies  gave  him  these,  and  a  wallet,  and  a  shield, 
and  belted  the  sword,  which  had  a  diamond  blade, 
round  his  waist,  and  the  cap  they  set  on  his  head,  and 
told  him  that  now  even  they  could  not  see  him  though 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD  2J7 

they  were  fairies.  Then  he  took  it  off,  and  they  each 
kissed  him  and  wished  him  good  fortune,  and  then  they 
began  again  their  eternal  dance  round  the  golden  tree, 
for  it  is  their  business  to  guard  it  till  the  new  times 
come,  or  till  the  world's  ending.  So  the  boy  put  the 
cap  on  his  head,  and  hung  the  wallet  round  his  waist, 
and  the  shining  shield  on  his  shoulders,  and  flew  be- 
yond the  great  river  that  lies  coiled  like  a  serpent  round 
the  whole  world.  And  by  the  banks  of  that  river, 
there  he  found  the  three  Terrible  Women  all  asleep 
beneath  a  poplar  tree,  and  the  dead  poplar  leaves  lay 
all  about  them.  Their  golden  wings  were  folded  and 
their  brass  claws  were  crossed,  and  two  of  them  slept 
with  their  hideous  heads  beneath  their  wings  like  birds, 
and  the  serpents  in  their  hair  writhed  out  from  under 
the  feathers  of  gold.  But  the  youngest  slept  between 
her  two  sisters,  and  she  lay  on  her  back,  with  her  beau- 
tiful sad  face  turned  to  the  sky;  and  though  she  slept 
her  eyes  were  wide  open.  If  the  boy  had  seen  her  he 
would  have  been  changed  into  stone  by  the  terror  and 
the  pity  of  it,  she  was  so  awful;  but  he  had  thought 
of  a  plan  for  killing  her  without  looking  on  her  face. 
As  soon  as  he  caught  sight  of  the  three  from  far  off 
he  took  his  shining  shield  from  his  shoulders,  and  held 
it  up  like  a  mirror,  so  that  he  saw  the  Dreadful  Women 
reflected  in  it,  and  did  not  see  the  Terrible  Head  itself. 
Then  he  came  nearer  and  nearer,  till  he  reckoned  that 
he  was  within  a  sword's  stroke  of  the  youngest,  and 
he  guessed  where  he  should  strike  a  back  blow  behind 
him.  Then  he  drew  the  Sword  of  Sharpness  and 
struck  once,  and  the  Terrible  Head  was  cut  from  the 


278  THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 

shoulders  of  the  creature,  and  the  blood  leaped  out 
and  struck  him  like  a  blow.  But  he  thrust  the  Terrible 
Head  into  his  wallet,  and  flew  away  without  looking 
behind.  Then  the  two  Dreadful  Sisters  who  were  left 
wakened,  and  rose  in  the  air  like  great  birds;  and 
though  they  could  not  see  him  because  of  his  Cap  of 
Darkness,  they  flew  after  him  up  the  wind,  following 
by  the  scent  through  the  clouds,  like  hounds  hunting 
in  a  wood.  They  came  so  close  that  he  could  hear  the 
clatter  of  their  golden  wings,  and  their  shrieks  to  each 
other :  " Here,  here"  " No,  there;  this  way  he 
went,"  as  they  chased  him.  But  the  Shoes  of  Swift- 
ness flew  too  fast  for  them,  and  at  last  their  cries  and 
the  rattle  of  their  wings  died  away  as  he  crossed  the 
great  river  that  runs  round  the  world. 

Now  when  the  horrible  creatures  were  far  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  the  boy  found  himself  on  the  right  side  of 
the  river,  he  flew  straight  eastward,  trying  to  seek  his 
own  country.  But  as  he  looked  down  from  the  air  he 
saw  a  very  strange  sight  —  a  beautiful  girl  chained  to 
a  stake  at  the  high- water  mark  of  the  sea.  The  girl 
was  so  frightened  or  so  tired  that  she  was  only  pre- 
vented from  falling  by  the  iron  chain  about  her  waist, 
and  there  she  hung,  as  if  she  were  dead.  The  boy  was 
very  sorry  for  her,  and  flew  down  and  stood  beside 
her.  When  he  spoke  she  raised  her  head  and  looked 
round,  but  his  voice  only  seemed  to  frighten  her. 
Then  he  remembered  that  he  was  wearing  the  Cap  of 
Darkness,  and  that  she  could  only  hear  him,  not  see 
him.  So  he  took  it  off,  and  there  he  stood  before 
her,  the  handsomest  young  man  she  had  ever  seen  in 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD  279 

all  her  life,  with  short  curly  yellow  hair,  and  blue  eyes, 
and  a  laughing  face.  And  he  thought  her  the  most 
beautiful  girl  in  the  world.  So  first  with  one  blow  of 
the  Sword  of  Sharpness  he  cut  the  iron  chain  that 
bound  her,  and  then  he  asked  her  what  she  did  here, 
and  why  men  treated  her  so  cruelly.  And  she  told 
him  that  she  was  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  that 
country,  and  that  she  was  tied  there  to  be  eaten  by  a 
monstrous  beast  out  of  the  sea ;  for  the  beast  came  and 
devoured  a  girl  every  day.  Now  the  lot  had  fallen  on 
her;  and  as  she  was  just  saying  this  a  long  fierce  head 
of  a  cruel  sea  creature  rose  out  of  the  waves  and 
snapped  at  the  girl.  But  the  beast  had  been  too  greedy 
and  too  hurried,  so  he  missed  his  aim  the  first  time. 
Before  he  could  rise  and  bite  again  the  boy  had  whipped 
the  Terrible  Head  out  of  his  wallet  and  held  it  up. 
And  when  the  sea  beast  leaped  out  once  more  its  eyes 
fell  on  the  head,  and  instantly  it  was  turned  into  a 
stone.  And  the  stone  beast  is  there  on  the  sea-coast  to 
this  day. 

Then  the  boy  and  the  girl  went  to  the  palace  of  the 
King,  her  father,  where  every  one  was  weeping  for  her 
death,  and  they  could  hardly  believe  their  eyes  when 
they  saw  her  come  back  well.  And  the  King  and 
Queen  made  much  of  the  boy,  and  could  not  contain 
themselves  for  delight  when  they  found  he  wanted  to 
marry  their  daughter.  So  the  two  were  married  with 
the  most  splendid  rejoicings,  and  when  they  had  passed 
some  time  at  court  they  went  home  in  a  ship  to  the 
boy's  own  country.  For  he  could  not  carry  his  bride 
through  the  air,  so  he  took  the  Shoes  of  Swiftness, 


280  THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD 

and  the  Cap  of  Darkness,  and  the  Sword  of  Sharpness 
up  to  a  lonely  place  in  the  hills.  There  he  left  them, 
and  there  they  were  found  by  the  man  and  woman  who 
had  met  him  at  home  beside  the  sea,  and  had  helped 
him  to  start  on  his  journey. 

When  this  had  been  done  the  boy  and  his  bride  set 
forth  for  home,  and  landed  at  the  harbor  of  his  native 
land.  But  whom  should  he  meet  in  the  very  street 
of  the  town  but  his  own  mother,  flying  for  her  life 
from  the  wicked  King,  who  now  wished  to  kill  her 
because  he  found  that  she  would  never  marry  him! 
For  if  she  had  liked  the  King  ill  before,  she  liked  him 
far  worse  now  that  he  had  caused  her  son  to  disappear 
so  suddenly.  She  did  not  know,  of  course,  where  the 
boy  had  gone,  but  thought  the  King  had  slain  him  se- 
cretly. So  now  she  was  running  for  her  very  life, 
and  the  wicked  King  was  following  her  with  a  sword 
in  his  hand.  Then,  behold !  she  ran  into  her  son's  very 
arms,  but  he  had  only  time  to  kiss  her  and  step  in 
front  of  her,  when  the  King  struck  at  him  with  his 
sword.  The  boy  caught  the  blow  on  his  shield,  and 
cried  to  the  King : 

"  I  swore  to  bring  you  the  Terrible  Head,  and  see 
how  I  keep  my  oath !  " 

Then  he  drew  forth  the  head  from  his  wallet,  and 
when  the  king's  eyes  fell  on  it,  instantly  he  was  turned 
into  stone,  just  as  he  stood  there  with  his  sword  lifted! 

Now  all  the  people  rejoiced,  because  the  wicked  King 
should  rule  them  no  longer.  And  they  asked  the  boy 
to  be  their  king,  but  he  said  no,  he  must  take  his  mother 
home  to  her  father's  house.     So  the  people  chose  for 


THE  TERRIBLE  HEAD  281 

king  the  man  who  had  been  kind  to  his  mother  when 
first  she  was  cast  on  the  island  in  the  great  chest. 

Presently  the  boy  and  his  mother  and  his  wife  set 
sail  for  his  mother's  own  country,  from  which  she  had 
been  driven  so  unkindly.  But  on  the  way  they  stayed 
at  the  court  of  a  king,  and  it  happened  that  he  was 
holding  games,  and  giving  prizes  to  the  best  runners, 
boxers,  and  quoit-throwers.  Then  the  boy  would  try 
his  strength  with  the  rest,  but  he  threw  the  quoit  so  far 
that  it  went  beyond  what  had  ever  been  thrown  be- 
fore, and  fell  in  the  crowd,  striking  a  man  so  that  he 
died.  Now  this  man  was  no  other  than  the  father  of 
the  boy's  mother,  who  had  fled  away  from  his  own 
kingdom  for  fear  his  grandson  should  find  him  and 
kill  him  after  all.  Thus  he  was  destroyed  by  his  own 
cowardice  and  by  chance,  and  thus  the  prophecy  was 
fulfilled.  But  the  boy  and  his  wife  and  his  mother 
went  back  to  the  kingdom  that  was  theirs,  and  lived 
long  and  happily  after  all  their  troubles. 


[PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED   STATES  OF  AMERICA] 


"T  -r 


^ 


